Te Ata Fisher, Photograph, Undated. Courtesy Oklahoma Hall of Fame Archives.
Te Ata Fisher
(1895 - 1995)
Profession: Historian & Storyteller
Hometown: Tishomingo
Inducted: 1957
Te Ata Fisher was a Chickasaw performer and storyteller who was celebrated for her ability to captivate audiences. Fisher was born Mary Thompson near Tishomingo, Oklahoma, in 1895 and grew up listening to her father's stories. During her time at Bloomfield Academy, the art of storytelling became more important to Fisher as she was not allowed to practice her Chickasaw culture. As a student at the Oklahoma College for Women, now the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma, Fisher found her passion for acting and storytelling with the help of her mentor Francis Densmore Davis. Davis encouraged Fisher to incorporate the Chickasaw stories she had learned throughout her life into her performances.
At the beginning of her career Fisher began using the stage name "Te Ata," meaning "bearer of the morning," and moved to the East Coast to pursue an acting career. She performed in several Broadway shows before deciding to be a one-woman performer, focusing on telling stories she had developed while traveling on the Chautauqua circuit across the United States.
During her more than 60-year career, Fisher performed around the world and learned new stories along the way. In her performances Fisher wore Chickasaw regalia and used instruments such as rattles. By bringing the art of storytelling to the world stage, Fisher was able to share her culture following a period of attempted erasing. She performed for the King and Queen of England, presidents, and other indigenous tribes sparking an appreciation for Native American heritage. In recognition of her work, Fisher was awarded the Oklahoma Governor's Award in 1976 and was named Oklahoma's first State Treasure.