Mary Thompson “Te Ata” Fisher (1895-1995) was a Chickasaw woman who became a renowned actor and performer, bringing the stories, traditions, dances of native peoples to the world.
Mary Thompson “Te Ata” Fisher (1895-1995) was a Chickasaw woman who became a renowned actor and performer, bringing the stories, traditions, dances of native peoples to the world.
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Hello! From Wonder Media Network, I’m Jenny Kaplan. This is Womanica.
Today we’re talking about a Chickasaw woman who became a renowned actor and performer, bringing the stories, traditions, dances of native peoples to the world.
Let’s meet Mary Thompson Fisher, better known as Te Ata.
Te Ata was born Mary Frances Thompson on December 3, 1895 to Bertie and Thomas Thompson. Bertie described it as the coldest night she had ever experienced.
Mary’s mother was a white woman, and her father was a member of the Chickasaw nation. He served as the last treasurer of the Chickasaw nation -- before Oklahoma gained statehood -- and he also ran a general store.
Thomas’s feet were always in two worlds -- the world of the Chickasaw, and the world of white people. And this informed how he raised his children in Tishomingo.
When Mary was a child, Thomas would tell her and her siblings stories of their people. These stories left her enraptured. She would write down every bit she learned from him. But like many tribal members of his time, Thomas was forced to try to fit in with white society. So, Te Ata wasn’t exposed to much of her heritage or language as a Chickasaw citizen. Thomas taught Mary to count to ten in Chickasaw, but refused to teach her any more.
As a child, Mary was tall for her age. She was athletic and graceful, high-strung and curious. Her mother once said:
“Mary never walks but she runs and never steps but she jumps.”
Mary was particularly fascinated by a big elm tree near her house. She would climb the tree and leap from limb to limb -- much to her mother’s dismay. Sometimes, though, she’d just sit up on a branch alone and take in the view.
Mary attended a Chickasaw boarding school and then went to a public high school. During her senior year, she had a history teacher who was also a native woman, a daughter of a former Choctaw Chief. It was in her class, Mary later said that she “for the first time [felt] the stirrings of ambition.”
She was inspired to get a higher education, too. At first, she wanted to study forestry. She loved the trees and the woods. But, her father wasn’t happy with either of these ambitions. He felt it wasn’t proper for a young lady. Eventually, he relented, and the family saved up so she could enroll in the Oklahoma College for Women in 1915.
At college, she met Frances Davis, who was teaching drama and expression. Frances took a special interest in Mary, and vice versa. Again, she was inspired and studied theatre. When she began performing, she started using the name Te Ata -- which modern Chickasaw speakers say has no meaning, but she said meant “Bearer of the Dawn.”
In school, she would tell the stories she had learned from her father to her classmates. Though, she never quite knew their origins. Her father never felt it was important to trace these stories back. Instead, he felt what was important to know was why this story was created in the first place and why it stuck around.
Te Ata was the first native woman to graduate from Oklahoma College for Women. And she set her sights on New York City. She moved there in 1922, and faced challenges from the beginning. Despite her theatrical training, she often felt overlooked at auditions.
She made money performing folklore for society women, and doing odd jobs. She also traveled with a Chautauqua Circuit, which brought adult education courses around the country.
Te Ata eventually did get cast in parts on Broadway -- she’s best known for her role in Trojan Women. But she decided to change course. She had been studying ethnology and learning more about indigenous stories and histories from around the world. And Te Ata decided to expand her folklore performances, to interpret these stories, educate children, and to “present the beauty and wisdom” of native culture.
She performed at summer camps in New York state and around the northeast. And in the early 1930s, she sailed to the United Kingdom where she performed on the radio, on stage, and in private residences.
In the late 1920s, Te Ata met Clyde Fisher. They married in 1933. Clyde was a naturalist, and the curator of education and astronomy at the Museum of Natural History in New York City. She would accompany him on trips around the world.
In 1933, First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt invited her to perform at the White House for the British Prime Minister. It was such an enjoyable performance, Te Ata was invited to the Roosevelts’ home to perform for the President and the King and Queen of England in 1939.
The Roosevelts even named Lake Te-Ata, in New York’s Harriman State Park, in her honor.
Clyde, who was almost twenty years older than Te Ata, died on January 7, 1949. After her husband’s death, she visited Central America, and kept up her travel performances well into old age.
At the age of 92, in 1987, Te Ata was named Oklahoma’s first state treasure.
Te Ata died in Oklahoma on October 20, 1995, a little more than a month before her 100th birthday.
Her life has inspired films, books, and theatre productions. And her stories continue to influence generations to come.
All month, we’re honoring the legacy of Indigenous women. Check out our instagram and facebook page @womanicapodcast.
Special thanks to Liz Kaplan, my favorite sister and co-creator.
Talk to you tomorrow!