OKLAHOMA CITY — It was 2015.
“Te Ata,” a full-length movie filmed a year earlier celebrating the life of Chickasaw entertainer Mary Frances Thompson Fisher, was in postproduction and was not ready for release.
A “who’s who” of Chickasaw Nation creators, writers, filmmakers and dignitaries were invited to Oklahoma City’s deadCenter Film Festival in June of that year to talk about “Te Ata.”
What inspired the tribe to tell Te Ata’s story? Why did the Chickasaw Nation insist it be filmed entirely in Oklahoma? Why is the Chickasaw Nation making full-length family movies? How did the tribe acquire the talent of so many renowned actors in making the film?
Jeannie Barbour, the film’s creative development director, explained to deadCenter participants the vision of sharing stories concerning important Chickasaw historical events and individuals was first envisioned by Chickasaw Nation Governor Bill Anoatubby in 2009.
"Governor Anoatubby had a vision to educate and entertain people about First American people, about Chickasaws specifically," Barbour said. "So, these movies were designed to do just that."
“Te Ata” marked the second film the Chickasaw Nation would release in an effort to share stories with the world from a First American perspective.
“Pearl” kicked off the vision in 2010 and was quickly followed with a documentary, “Pearl Carter Scott: On Top of the World.”
The film told the story of Scott, a barnstorming daredevil flyer who became the youngest pilot in the United States on Sept. 12, 1929, when she took her first solo flight at the age of 13.
Her quest was realized with the help of famed Cherokee aviator Wiley Post, the first man to fly solo around the world. He also was an inventor and introduced the world to pressurized suits later adapted by NASA for American astronauts.
What followed next was “First Encounter.” The short film centered its attention on the Chickasaw Nation’s first encounter with Spanish conquistador Hernando de Soto in 1540.
While the tribal nation allowed de Soto and his explorers to spend the winter on Chickasaw land in Mississippi, his disrespect of the tribe and outrageous demands for Chickasaws to accompany his explorers westward as slaves ultimately led to violence.
Chickasaw warriors struck de Soto’s encampment in the dead of night with a swift and powerful attack. Many in his entourage were slain, and de Soto barely escaped with his life.
However, it was “Te Ata” where the Chickasaw Nation embarked upon a partnership with experienced film director Nathan Frankowski and a cast of famed actors to bring her story to the silver screen.
Chickasaw actress Mary Frances Thompson Fisher was born in Indian Territory and appeared on Broadway, entertained at the White House for President Franklin Roosevelt and First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt. She entertained King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, British royalty.
“Te Ata” was graced with a stellar cast, including Academy Award nominee Graham Greene (“Dances with Wolves” and “The Green Mile”); Q’orianka Kilcher (“The New World” and “Neverland”); Gil Birmingham (“Twilight” and “Yellowstone”); Cindy Pickett, an Oklahoma native (“Ferris Bueller’s Day Off”); and Mackenzie Astin (“Wyatt Earp”), son of famed actors John Astin and Patty Duke.
Formally released in 2017 to critical acclaim, “Te Ata” was followed by another Frankowski directed film, “Montford: The Chickasaw Rancher.”
The all-star cast of “Montford: The Chickasaw Rancher” includes Martin Sensmeier (“The Magnificent Seven” and “Westworld”) Dermot Mulroney (“Young Guns” and “August: Osage County”), Tommy Flanagan (“Braveheart”), Tatanka Means (“Horizon” and “Killers of the Flower Moon”) and James Landry Hébert (“1883” and “Horizon”).
The film, inspired by the life of Montford Johnson, shares the story of an amazing and impactful Chickasaw man who established a vast ranching empire following the Civil War.
“It’s such a big story, so much history in the beginning of Oklahoma,” said Barbour, who served as the film’s content producer. “It’s all built on the infrastructure First American people had put into place before the land run. People like Montford Johnson trail blazed the way.”
“Te Ata” and “Montford: The Chickasaw Rancher” both enjoyed a lengthy streaming presence on Netflix and can now be viewed on Peacock.
Chickasaw Nation Productions has put Oklahoma in the national spotlight by creating family films about Oklahomans.
Barbour told Oklahoma City television station KOCO 5 Chickasaw Nation Productions “actively supports casting First American actors for First American parts. We feel that's very important not only in front but behind the camera."
Chickasaw Nation Productions shares the enduring legacy of the Chickasaw Nation and its people through feature films and documentaries. The Chickasaw Heritage Series documentary films have curriculum written for both primary and secondary education. Curricula may be downloaded for free at ChickasawFilms.com/Education.
The documentaries include “Pearl Carter Scott: On Top of the World,” “Bearer of the Morning: The Life of Te Ata Thompson Fisher,” “First Encounter” and “Montford Johnson: An Original Brand.”
The goal of Chickasaw Nation Productions is to educate audiences by producing feature films and documentaries with accurate, positive portrayals of Chickasaw people, history and culture.
Each film illustrates how Chickasaw culture played a significant role in the lives of the individuals and how those individuals and events influenced the world around them.
For other curricula provided by the Chickasaw Nation, visit Chickasaw.net/Curriculum.
For more information about Chickasaw Nation Productions, visit ChickasawFilms.com.