Te Ata Fisher
| Te Ata | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Mary Frances Thompson December 3, 1895 Emet, Oklahoma, U.S. |
| Died | October 25, 1995 (aged 99) |
| Other names | Te Ata ("bearer of the dawn") |
| Alma mater | Oklahoma College for Women |
| Occupation | Actress, Storyteller |
| Spouse(s) | Dr. George Clyde Fisher |
| Parent(s) | T.B. Thompson Bertie (Freund) Thompson |
| Relatives |
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Mary Frances Thompson (December 3, 1895 – October 25, 1995), best known as Te Ata, was an actress and citizen of the Chickasaw Nation known for telling Native American stories. She performed as a representative of Native Americans at state dinners before President Franklin D. Roosevelt in the 1930s. She was inducted into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame in 1957 and named Oklahoma's first State Treasure in 1987.
Te Ata was born Mary Frances Thompson in Emet, Chickasaw Nation (now in Johnston County, Oklahoma), to Thomas Benjamin Thompson, a Chickasaw, and Bertie (Freund) Thompson. The name "Te Ata," is the Māori (New Zealand Aboriginal) word for "The Morning." It was given to her by an unknown person. "Te Ata" is not a Chickasaw word nor phrase. Te Ata began her early education in a one-room tribal school, but after two years she was sent to Bloomfield Academy, a Chickasaw boarding school for girls. At Bloomfield, she met Muriel Wright, a teacher who became her role model. Te Ata graduated high school from Tishomingo, Oklahoma where she was salutatorian.
In the fall of 1915, Te Ata began college at the Oklahoma College for Women (now the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma) in Chickasha, and graduated in 1919. During her time at Oklahoma College for Women, she worked as an assistant in the theatre department for theatre instructor Frances Dinsmore Davis. It was during this time that Te Ata was first introduced to the stage.
Davis encouraged Te Ata to use Native American stories as the basis for her senior performance at Oklahoma College for Women. Te Ata made her debut as an artist during her senior year of college performing songs and stories from several different tribes. The debut was well-received, and she was asked to perform at the University of Oklahoma and various other institutions.
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