On SAG Awards red carpet, Lily Gladstone praises 'incredible circle' of Indigenous actresses

On the red carpet at the 30th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards, "Killers of the Flower Moon" star Lily Gladstone praised the "incredible circle" of Indigenous actresses breaking through alongside her in film and television.

Already an historic Oscar nominee and Golden Globe winner, Gladstone said on the SAG Awards red carpet that "it's such a gift to be able to work at all as an actor," but she's especially grateful "getting to do work that's meaningful, and, really, I feel in a big way, shifting some things culturally."

"I know this film is gonna have a lasting impact. It's gonna stand the test of time. It really does feel like the kind of epic that you don't see often anymore. There's really nothing like it," Gladstone said shortly after arriving at the SAG-AFTRA union's awards show, which honors the best in film and television performances from the previous year.

Filmed in and around Osage County in 2021, Scorsese's 3 1/2-hour fact-based drama is adapted from David Grann's best-seller “Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI."

Now available to rent or buy digitally, the film, like the book, has brought to light a dark and often-overlooked chapter of Oklahoma history: The 1920s "Reign of Terror," a series of brutal murders of oil-rich Osage Nation citizens.

Gladstone, who is NiMíiPuu, or Nez Perce, and Siksikaitsitapi, or Blackfeet, has earned widespread acclaim for her powerful lead turn as Mollie Kyle Burkhart, a real-life Osage woman who was marked for death during the Reign of Terror.

'Killers of the Flower Moon' actor William Belleau says film has led to dialogue

One of Gladstone's "Killers of the Flower Moon" co-stars, Indigenous Canadian actor William Belleau said on the SAG Awards red carpet that the Oklahoma-made film and other projects like it have led to important dialogue.

"Before, they would just dress you up how they thought. But now, it's, 'what is the significance of this in your culture?' Then, I talk about the spiritual protocol behind certain ceremonies, certain things we'd wear in our wardrobe, and how we say thing and why we say things," said Belleau, a First Nations actor who hails from Alkali Lake, British Columbia.

He said creating that kind of dialogue is the most important impact he's seen from the critically acclaimed "Killers of the Flower Moon."

"People are talking about these truths — and there's a lot of truths in all these other great films that here tonight. So, I'm just happy about that," Belleau said on the SAG Awards red carpet.

Lily Gladstone praises fellow Indigenous actresses Kali Reis and Alaqua Cox on SAG Awards red carpet

Last month, Gladstone became the first Indigenous person to ever win the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Drama at the 81st Golden Globe Awards, and she also is the first Native American to be nominated for the best actress Oscar in the nearly 100-year history of the Academy Awards.

On the SAG Awards red carpet, she talked about how this cinematic awards season has put her in a particularly bright spotlight.

"(It's the) center of a circle, and it's an incredible circle, and then, the centerpoint shifts and moves. There's a moment right now, and I know it's circumstantial because of the role I was gifted to play in this incredible film. But it's a rising tide and there's lots of ships being lifted together. There's such a mutual network of support, and there's so much incredible talent," Gladstone said.

"It's incredible to see all of these Indigenous leading ladies being first: seeing ('True Detective: Night Country' star) Kali Reis being the first to lead an HBO series, ("Echo" star) Alaqua Cox being the first in a Marvel series live action. ... There's a lot of ladies who are first, and we all will say we're also not only."

At the SAG Awards, Gladstone continued her awards season ritual of championing Indigenous artists by accessorizing her classy gowns with jewelry from Native designers: She wore a red custom Armani Privé gown with beaded earrings created by Molly Murphy Adams.

Like Gladstone, Adams, who is Oglala Sioux, grew up in Montana and graduated from the University of Montana. Adams, whose intricate beadwork is featured in "Killers of the Flower Moon," went on to earn her master's degree in art history at Oklahoma State University last year.

Gladstone went on to win Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role Saturday night at the Screen Actors Guild Awards.

It was another historic moment for Gladstone: She is the first Indigenous performer to win in the best film actress category at the SAG Awards, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Gladstone's big win at the SAG Awards draws even more attention to what's already one of the most closely watched contests at this year's Academy Awards: The best actress race between Gladstone and "Poor Things" star Emma Stone is thought to be too close to call.

The 96th Academy Awards are scheduled to air March 10 on ABC.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Lily Gladstone praises fellow Indigenous leading ladies at SAG Awards