Te Ata Curriculum Elementary

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The Chickasaw Nation elementary Student Curriculum (Teacher Edition) THE CHICKASAW NATION TE ATA CURRICULUM ELEMENTARY

Bearer of the Morning: The Life of Te Ata Thompson Fisher TEACHER EDITION TABLE OF CONTENTS

Overview...... 2

Introduction...... 3

Reference Material...... 5

Discussion Questions...... 8

Student Activity...... 9

Student Quiz...... 11

Reference List...... 13 The Chickasaw Nation elementary Student Curriculum (Teacher Edition)

OVERVIEW

Chokma (Hello),

Thank you for your interest in the Chickasaw Nation Student Curriculum. We are pleased to offer this curriculum that explores our deep history, culture and traditions. The curricula are designed to inform and educate individuals about the dynamic history of our Chickasaw leaders, monumental events and culture. Chickasaw historians, researchers, archaeologists and other educators, as well as tribal elders, have developed this curriculum to share our story. We are excited to offer Unit 3. Each lesson focuses on a specific event and/or individual throughout the Chickasaw Nation’s history and is complete with its own lesson plan, reading material, discussion questions, student activity, student quiz and reference list for convenience. All provided materials have been reviewed and approved by the Chickasaw Nation Department of Culture & Humanities and the Chickasaw Nation Department of Communications & Community Development.

Thank you for your support. If you have any questions, please contact Michelle Cooke at (580) 436-7258 or [email protected].

The following Oklahoma Academic Standards, as outlined in the Oklahoma State Department of Education’s 2014 Social Studies guide, are to be used only as a basic guide. Other standards may be applicable that could be based on a teacher’s own interpretation of the lesson material or ability/need to make a conceptual connection:

Grade 1

Social Studies: American Heroes History Literacy, Content Standard 4, Item 2: Participate in shared research using biographies and informational text about the contributions of historic figures in American history, including Squanto, the Pilgrims, George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Paul Revere, Thomas Jefferson, Meriwether Lewis, William Clark, Sacagawea, Daniel Boone, Abraham Lincoln and George Washington Carver.

Grade 3

Social Studies: Oklahoma Studies History Literacy, Content Standard 4, Item 10: Conduct short research projects and examine notable historic and present-day Oklahomans, utilizing biographies and informational texts to describe their significant contributions. Those studied included Sequoyah, Bill Pickett, Jim Thorpe, the Kiowa Six (formerly the Kiowa Five), Will Rogers, Wiley Post, Woody Guthrie, Clara Luper, Wilma Mankiller, Gordon Cooper, Shannon Lucid, Mickey Mantle, Carl Albert and the Five Ballerinas.

Grade 4

United States Studies: Regional Geography and History, Content Standard 1, Item 2.D: Describe the diverse, but unified, nature of the American people by identifying the distinctive contributions to American culture of Native Americans, African Americans, major European groups, major Spanish-speaking groups and Asian Americans.

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INTRODUCTION

Note: The following is a suggested script for you, the teacher, to reference while discussing this lesson plan. Based on a number of factors, such as your students’ ages or maturity levels, you may choose to deviate from the script as appropriate.

“Recording history can come in many different forms and from many different perspectives. What are some ways that history is written down? [Pause for responses. The students might respond with answers like “letters, books, diaries and journals.”] Those are all great responses! Did you know that long before people wrote things down, the only way to share our history was to memorize it and pass it down verbally from one generation to the next? This is called oral history, and we still record oral histories today. In fact, some people even do this as a profession. Have any of you ever interviewed a grandparent about their life or what it was like when they were growing up? Then you recorded an oral history! “How many of you like to have a story told to you? [Pause for responses.] I bet a lot of people do! Storytelling is not only a form of entertainment, like going to the movies or theater, but it’s also a way to pass down history and culture through oral history. You learn about customs, beliefs, history and worldviews through storytelling. It is a powerful tool that can be used to reach around the world to audiences of all ages, and that is exactly what Te Ata Thompson Fisher discovered.”

OBJECTIVES

1. The students will read the reference material out loud. 2. The students will interact with the reading by answering discussion questions. 3. The students will complete the student activity and quiz.

READING PROCEDURE

The teacher will read the first paragraph of the material out loud to the students. Then the teacher will ask students to take turns reading each paragraph. If the students are uncomfortable with oral reading, the teacher may wish to consider reading the entire passage to model good reading habits. For students who already display great comfort with oral reading, the teacher may wish to have the students read the entire passage. Teachers should feel free to stop the reading and pose knowledge questions about the text—e.g., asking students to define words or explain more. Similarly, the discussion questions may be answered in discussion, as intended, or the teacher may use them to make a free response worksheet for the students.

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MATERIALS

1. Reading text (provided) 2. Discussion questions (provided) 3. Quiz (provided)

EVALUATION

The teacher will grade students based on some combination of the following: oral reading, participation in discussion and any comments made. These grades may be evaluative or for completion, at the teacher’s discretion.

ACTIVITY PROCEDURE a. The teacher will introduce the activity to the students: “Now that you have learned a little about Te Ata Thompson Fisher, it is your turn to be a storyteller. You will take some time to write a story of your own. It can be a creative story or a family history.” b. The teacher will supervise the students as they complete the activity. c. At the end of the period, the teacher will ask the students to share their stories.

MATERIALS

1. Writing prompt (provided) 2. Pencils/pens

EVALUATION

The teacher may grade students’ activities based on correctness or for completion, at the teacher’s discretion.

CLOSURE

“So, what have we learned today? Te Ata Thompson Fisher left a legacy of culture and history through her storytelling for all of us. She was able to take the special gifts she was born with and leave a lasting impression on the world. Her enthusiasm and willingness to share her stories with others and learn from others allowed her to touch a generation of people around the world who wanted to know more about Native American history and culture. You can share your history and culture just like Te Ata by telling or writing down the stories that are important to your family. Be the person who is a catalyst for change in your world!”

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REFERENCE MATERIAL

Dynamic women have always been an important part of Chickasaw society, and there are many Chickasaw women who have contributed to the history of the Chickasaw Nation as well as the United States. One of these women is Te Ata Thompson Fisher. Te Ata was known for her storytelling and the ability she had to share her talents with the world. When she was born on December 3, 1895, her name was Mary Frances Thompson. Her father was Thomas Thompson, a Chickasaw and treasurer of the tribe before statehood, and her mother was Lucy Alberta “Bertie” Freund. Growing up, Te Ata attended the Chickasaw boarding school, Bloomfield Academy, and after graduating from public high school in 1913, she had ambitions to attend college. In 1915, those goals came true when Te Ata enrolled in Oklahoma College for Women (OCW) in Chickasha, Oklahoma. She funded her education by using her own allotment land as collateral for a loan.

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At OCW, Te Ata found her calling when she became involved with the college’s drama department. Under the guidance of Dr. Frances Dinsmore Davis, a faculty member in the department, she began performing on stage under the stage name Te Ata, which is Maori for “Bearer of the Dawn” and was a childhood pet name given to her by her Aunt Mary (Harkins). It was Davis who recognized Te Ata’s natural storytelling abilities and encouraged her to incorporate it into her performances, embracing her tribal culture. After college, Te Ata joined the Chautauqua circuit and traveled for several summers with fellow entertainers to provide arts education to rural areas of the country. Many people she performed in front of had never even seen a Native American person before, and Te Ata loved sharing her stories with them. She especially enjoyed sharing her stories with the children. In the early 1920s, Te Ata moved to New York City. There she became friends with other Native American performing artists and lived at the Three Arts Club sponsored by aristocratic women, one of which was future First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt. By 1924, Te Ata had gained national recognition as a Native American female performer and was featured on the cover of McCall’s Magazine, which was a national fashion magazine for women. She was reluctant to wear the war bonnet and makeup the magazine provided for her because she was afraid it misrepresented Native American people, but when she returned to Durant, Oklahoma, she found that every store window had proudly displayed the magazine.

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After New York City and her time on Broadway, Te Ata banded together with other Native American performers of that time like Jim Thorpe and her cousin, Ataloa, who was a renowned concert vocalist and educator. They traveled together sharing tribal performances to entertain and to raise awareness about flaws in current federal Indian policy. Te Ata was inspired to share her stories with youth, and shifted her performances to educational storytelling. She spent time with many groups of children, bringing Native American history alive for them through her stories and clothing. Much of this time was spent in Bear Mountain State Park in New York. As a result, Eleanor Roosevelt named “Lake Te Ata” in that State Park after her, and Camp Te Ata for Girl Scouts honors her memory as well. In 1932, Te Ata met the love of her life, Clyde Fisher. He was the curator for the Museum of Natural History and a scientist. They married a year later at Bacone College in Muskogee, Oklahoma. Clyde’s job took him all over the world, and Te Ata was fortunate to be able to join him on many of those trips. She experienced many cultures outside the United States which broadened her understanding of tribal people. She and Clyde drove across the United States one year, stopping and visiting with tribes to learn about their cultures. Before the end of her life, she claimed that she had driven to every state except Hawaii and Alaska! Te Ata had several honors bestowed upon her during her lifetime. She was invited by Eleanor Roosevelt to the White House on April 22, 1933, where she performed for British Prime Minister Ramsay MacDonald. Eleanor Roosevelt enjoyed the performance so much, she later invited Te Ata to the Roosevelt home at Hyde Park, New York, to perform for President Roosevelt, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth. In 1957, she was inducted into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame, and in 1987, she became Oklahoma’s first Cultural Treasure. In 1990, she was inducted into the Chickasaw Nation Hall of Fame. On October 20, 1995, Te Ata Thompson Fisher died at the age of 99. Her ashes were scattered on the lands she loved best around Tishomingo, Oklahoma, the lands that represented her beloved Chickasaw people.

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Discussion Questions

1. At the beginning of the documentary, the narrator claims that Te Ata was “not only a talented storyteller, but she also challenged norms as a woman and as a Native American.” How do you think she challenged norms as a woman and a Native American?

SAMPLE ANSWER: Examples might include: Te Ata challenged norms as a woman because she did things on her own like going to college and going to New York City. She shared the culture and stories of native peoples with worldwide audiences during a challenging time for Native Americans. She brought history to her audiences by wearing tribal clothing and performing tribal dances and playing tribal music.

2 . Why do you think Dr. Davis encouraged Te Ata to incorporate storytelling into her performances?

SAMPLE ANSWER: Dr. Davis recognized that Te Ata had a natural talent for storytelling and sharing her heritage with others.

3. Dr. Tom Cowger tells us that when he asked his class to draw a picture of an Indian they all drew a man in a headdress. Why do you think they did that?

SAMPLE ANSWER: Stereotyping of Native Americans occurred in history and on television. Very few Native American women have been represented in the media.

4. Discuss some of the feelings Te Ata may have had about the picture on the cover of McCall’s Magazine.

SAMPLE ANSWER: She may have been embarrassed about the war bonnet and face paint she wore because it was not reflective of her Chickasaw culture. She may have also been worried about offending the elders in her tribe or other people she cared about because it represented a stereotypical Native American person.

5. What was your favorite part of the documentary? What was the most memorable part of Te Ata’s life to you?

SAMPLE ANSWER: Answers will vary.

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STUDENT ACTIVITY

Tell Your Story

Imagine you are a storyteller like Te Ata. It’s your turn to share a story about your family. Write your story here. It can be a serious story, a funny story or a story that your grandparents told you.

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STUDENT QUIZ

1. What special talent is Te Ata Thompson Fisher remembered for?

a. Basket making b. Storytelling c. Beadwork d. Her books

2. What college did Te Ata attend?

a. The University of Oklahoma b. The University of Texas c. Texas Woman’s University d. The Oklahoma College for Women

3. How did Te Ata pay for her tuition?

a. She used her allotment land as collateral b. A scholarship c. Her mom and dad paid d. She worked three jobs to pay for tuition

4. Who did Te Ata perform for at President Roosevelt’s home in Hyde Park?

a. President Roosevelt/Eleanor Roosevelt b. Queen Elizabeth c. King George VI d. All of the above

5. When was Te Ata inducted into the Chickasaw Nation Hall of Fame?

a. 1989 b. 1990 c. 1971 d. 2000

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6. What was Te Ata’s husband’s name?

a. Clyde Fisher b. William Wall c. Benjamin Burris d. Harley Reynolds

7. How did Te Ata and Clyde communicate with each other when they were apart?

a. Snapchat b. Email c. Phone calls d. Letters

8. What two states did Te Ata not drive to?

a. Alaska and Hawaii b. Montana and Texas c. California and Washington d. Florida and Oklahoma

9. Which room did Te Ata stay in at the White House?

a. The Oval Office b. The Queen’s Bedroom c. The Lincoln Room d. Trump Towers

10. How did Eleanor Roosevelt invite Te Ata to the White House?

a. She called her. b. She sent her a telegram. c. She wrote her a letter. d. She emailed her.

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REFERENCE LIST

“Bearer of the Morning - The Life of Te Ata Thompson Fisher.” Chickasaw Nation Multimedia. Eppinga, Jane. They Made Their Mark: An Illustrated History of the Society of Women Geographers. The Globe Pequot Press: Guilford, 2009.

Green, Richard. Te Ata: Chickasaw Storyteller, American Treasure. University of Oklahoma P: Norman, 2002.

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