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  The Independent

  Wes Studi to become the first Native American to win an Oscar

  In 1973, Marlon Brando famously declined an Oscar for The Godfather over Hollywood’s treatment of Native Americans.Finally, after nearly 50 years, the Academy Awards have awarded a Native American actor an Oscar.Wes Studi, who appeared in the Oscar best picture winner Dances with Wolves, has been given an honorary award for career achievement. The 71-year-old has also appeared in James Cameron’s blockbuster Avatar, starred alongside Al Pacino in Heat, and portrayed the character Sagat in Street

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  News

  The Independent

  Album reviews: Craig David – The Time Is Now, Mary Gauthier – Rifles & Rosary Beads, Buffy Sainte-Marie – Medicine Songs, and more

  Mary Gauthier’s reputation as one of today’s greatest songwriters, admired by peers such as Tom Waits and Bob Dylan, is rooted in her relentless commitment to honesty and accuracy – most notably in the autobiographical song-cycle The Foundling, which dealt with her abandonment as a baby, becoming a teenage runaway, and drug and alcohol addiction. With Rifles & Rosary Beads, she’s created her most impressive and affecting work yet.

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  The Independent

  Buffy Sainte-Marie: 'I constantly ask myself. Where are the great protest songs of today? Are people deaf and blind?'

  “I was a fan of Alabama 3 because of that Sopranos theme,” says folk singer Buffy Sainte-Marie, talking from her home in Hawaii, “but it was a really bloody song about ripping people limb from limb and with blood all over the sword. It was perfect for The Sopranos, but I told Alabama 3 that I could turn into a great peace song. With further songs available as a free download, it is competitively priced but is 70 minutes of protest music just too much?

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