Did Leo do the right thing?

Leonardo DiCaprio spoke out on behalf on Indigenous peoples in a speech at the Golden Globe Awards this weekend, to both praise and criticism

Leonardo DiCaprio. It’s a name we all recognize, name that is synonymous with so many things. Hollywood, fame, fortune, and celebrity.

Last night the actor and film producer won the Golden Globe award for Best Actor—Motion Picture, Drama for the film The Revenant, adding “Award Winner” to the list of many things his name is synonymous with. When DiCaprio got on stage and approached the microphone to begin his acceptance speech, he was about to add one more thing to that list: activist for Indigenous peoples.

His acceptance speech began like so many others that had been heard that night. He thanked the usual list of people—the film’s writer, director, his co-stars, the crew, etc. His speech was about two and a half minutes long but it was the closing to his speech that left so many speechless.

DiCaprio ended by stating that he was sharing his award with First Nations people and all Indigenous communities around the world.

“It is time that we recognize your history and that we protect your Indigenous lands from corporate interests and people that are out there to exploit them, he said. “It is time that we heard your voice and protected this planet for future generations.” 

The internet erupted after DiCaprio said those words, with many people immediately praising the actor and thanking him for taking time out of his acceptance speech to use that platform to bring awareness to the ongoing plight all Indigenous peoples.

There were some, though, who found his speech to be arrogant and privileged, who found it inappropriate to applaud a white, privileged man and put him on a pedestal for saying what they felt many Elders have been saying for generations.

What do you think? Was Leo doing the right thing by speaking on behalf of Indigenous peoples around the world? Or should he have left that to Indigenous peoples themselves?