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Oklahoma Showcased In Film On Chickasaw Storyteller Te Ata

Susan Shannon

Chickasaw Governor Bill Anoatubby has long wanted to make films commemorating some of his tribe’s more renowned members. Among the names on Anoatubby’s short list is a woman he considers a great ambassador for his tribe and all Native Americans, Te Ata.

“Well since we started making films, which the first one we did was "Pearl,” we had in mind at that point Te Ata should be in that list,” Anoatubby said. “We've all been impressed with Te Ata, her life and what she did for the Chickasaw Nation and for Indian people in general. People need to know about it.”

Mary Thompson Fisher, or Te Ata, was an actress famous for sharing Native American stories before some of the most notable people of her time. She served as an ambassador of sorts, who famously entertained King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, and counted Jim Thorpe, Woody Crumbo, and even First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt among her friends.

Hers is a story that Governor Anoatubby feels is perfect for the big screen.

Credit Susan Shannon
Governor Bill Anoatubby and Producer Paul Sirmons

“You can write, but not everybody will read a book. You can do documentaries, but not everybody's gonna watch a documentary. A lot of people will watch a movie,” Anoatubby said. “This movie is exciting. We have such talent in the cast, it’s just amazing the talent they've amassed.”

Q’Orianka Kilcher (Quechua-Huachipaeri) portrays Te Ata. Kilcher made her film debut in Terence Malick’s The New World starring opposite Colin Farrell and Christian Bale.

Credit Susan Shannon
Gov. Anoatubby talks with Q'Orianka Kilcher on the set.

Gil Birmingham (Comanche) is playing Te Ata’s father. Birmingham is known for his work in the Twilight movie series.

Credit Chickasaw Nation
Gil Birmingham

Graham Greene is the most widely recognized actor on set. Greene was nominated for an Oscar for his performance as Kicking Bird in Dances With Wolves.

“I originally started in theater in 1976. I got my first film role in a film called Running Brave about Billy Mills, the Lakota runner, in 1981,” Greene said.

Credit Susan Shannon
Graham Greene

Greene is an Oneida from the Six Nations who describes himself as hard-headed and thick-skinned, traits he credits for his enduring career.

“The roles have been diverse. I've played New York cops. I've played in theater the ghost of a black transvestite, French soldiers, southern military soldiers, business men, doctors, etcetera, etcetera. It’s been pretty diverse,” Greene said. “Nothings limited me because I didn’t limit myself.”

Greene began to hear rumors about the film but didn’t think it was going to happen.

“About five days before they started, I got a call to see if I would like to come and do this,” Greene said.

“I didn't have any time to do any research on the character of Governor Johnston, I didn't know there was a Governor Johnston,” Greene said. “But when I got here, I found out a lot of stuff and somebody gave me a book on him and I quickly scanned through that as best I could. But that was about half way through the shoot!”

Anoatubby found producer Paul Sirmons through a recommendation from the Oklahoma Film Commission. Before agreeing to his role, Sirmons did have one stipulation.

“I said I'm only interested in doing it if we can help other Chickasaws become story tellers and we have some working on the film in fact,” Sirmons said.

Sirmons also had concerns about cost.

“I was a little skeptical at first because of the time periods, its 1898 to 1935, that's three different wardrobe periods, Victorian/Elizabethan, that sort of thing, that's expensive,” Sirmons said.

“In Te Ata's life, she starts in Oklahoma, but she goes to Carnegie Institute in Pennsylvania. And she goes to New York City and performs on Broadway. And she goes to the White House and performs,” Sirmons said. “It wasn't until I got here, and we started looking around, that we found places - not only in the Chickasaw Nation but also up in Guthrie.”

Mack Astin, the son of Patti Duke and John Astin, portrays Te Ata’s husband, Dr. Clyde Fisher.

Credit Susan Shannon
Mack Astin, far left, in period costume, waiting on set.

“Clyde is an interesting character within the film because I think he helps encourage Te Ata to discover her truth, which is to be a story teller and not chase the acting dream so much, but to share from her own experience and tell of the Chickasaw,” Astin said.

Graham Greene feels the Chickasaws are setting a standard for other tribes to emulate.

“I've not found anyone as savvy as the Chickasaw people. I mean, I tried to get something like this going 40 years ago and nobody was interested in it,” Greene said. “So, I became an actor.”

“I worked in the music industry, then after that I became an actor. I got to do what I wanted to do whether anybody else wanted to do it or not,” Green said. “My role, then and now, is just being of a profile that people can see ‘Oh! We do exist!”

Credit Susan Shannon
Graham Greene talks with Gov. Anoatubby

“So you can do it. I did it, you can do it,” Greene said.

“A lot more native kids are getting into acting and telling the truth, telling the stories accurately, the way they should be told, not what you see on T.V. or what some western writer has written that probably has never been west of the Mississippi,” Greene said. “You know, it’s happening all over.”

And it’s happening here in Oklahoma with this film on the life of Te Ata.

Te Ata broke barriers. She told the story of her people before presidents and kings. Now, her life story will be on the silver screen in a movie made possible by her people.

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