Te Ata

Te Ata, whose name means “Bearer of the Morning,” was an internationally acclaimed Chickasaw storyteller. Her father was a Chickasaw council member. Te Ata studied at the Oklahoma College for Women, the Theatre School at the Carnegie Institute of Technology, and Columbia University. She appeared on stage in New York, at the White House and in Europe, and Lake Te Ata in New York is named for her. Te Ata's story Baby Rattlesnake is a well known children's tale of the difficulties of growing up and is a favorite of schools and libraries throughout the country. Her work is an example of the evocative power of the oral storytelling traditions.