Hanay Geiogamah facts for kids

Hanay Geiogamah (born 1945) is a famous Native American writer for plays, TV shows, and movies. He also directs artistic projects. He used to be a professor at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in their theater, film, and television school. He also led the UCLA American Indian Studies Center for several years. Hanay Geiogamah was born in Oklahoma. He is from the Kiowa and Delaware Nation tribes. He is well-known for his plays and is one of the few Native American producers in Hollywood.

Early Life and Education

Hanay Geiogamah was born in Lawton, Oklahoma. His father was Kiowa, and his mother was Delaware. He is an official member of the Kiowa Indian Tribe of Oklahoma.

He finished high school at Anadarko High School. Then, he studied journalism at the University of Oklahoma. Later, in 1979, he went to Indiana University Bloomington. He earned a bachelor's degree in theater with a minor in journalism in 1980.

Before his career in arts, Geiogamah worked for the government. He helped Louis R. Bruce, who was in charge of Indian Affairs. This was part of the Bureau of Indian Affairs under President Richard Nixon.

Starting a Native American Theater

In 1971, Hanay Geiogamah started a theater group in New York City. It was at a place called La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club. This was the first theater company in the United States made up only of Native American actors.

In 1973, the group changed its name to the Native American Theatre Ensemble. They did this because people often didn't realize they were real Native Americans. Geiogamah wrote his first play for the company, Body Indian, in 1972. After that came Coon Cons Coyote and Foghorn in 1973.

During the 1970s, the Native American Theatre Ensemble traveled a lot. They performed all over the United States and even in Germany. In 1973, students from the Institute of American Indian Arts joined them on a tour. They performed at places like the University of New Mexico and the Smithsonian Institution. Their shows included traditional and modern American Indian music. They used songs from many different tribal areas.

In 1980, the University of Oklahoma Press published Geiogamah's book, New Native American Drama: Three Plays. The Native American Theatre Ensemble performed his last play, 49, in 1982.

American Indian Dance Theatre

Later, Geiogamah created another famous group called the American Indian Dance Theatre. Their first public show was in 1987. Hanay Geiogamah was the director, and Barbara Schwei was the producer.

This dance group had 24 members from about 18 different Native American tribes. They toured both in the U.S. and other countries. The dancers wore traditional costumes. The music was played on traditional instruments made by the performers themselves.

The group first performed in New York City in 1989. In 1990, they were featured on PBS' show Great Performances. The New York Times praised their show. They said the group was very real and showed important parts of their lives and cultures. In 1993, the company was part of another PBS show called Dances for the New Generations. This program was even nominated for an Primetime Emmy Award.

Working in Television and Film

Hanay Geiogamah also worked a lot in television and movies. He was a producer for a big project called The Native Americans: Behind the Legends, Beyond the Myths. This series aired on TNT from 1993 to 1996. It told true historical stories.

Geiogamah helped produce "The Broken Chain," which was about the Iroquois Confederacy during colonial times. He also worked on "Geronimo." In 1994, he helped produce "Lakota Woman: Return to Wounded Knee." A year later, he worked on "Tecumseh," a story about the Shawnee leader who fought against the United States. In 1996, Geiogamah produced "Crazy Horse," about the Oglala Lakota war leader.

He was also a producer for the movie The Only Good Indian. This Western movie starred Cherokee actor Wes Studi. It first showed at the Sundance Film Festival in 2009.

In 2010, Geiogamah joined Robert Osborne on Turner Classic Movies. They hosted a series called "Race in Hollywood: Native American Images on Film." This series looked at how Native Americans were shown in movies, both good and bad.

Hanay Geiogamah is also part of the National Film Preservation Board. This group advises the Librarian of Congress about the National Film Registry. He also helped start "Project HOOP." This project helps create Native American theater in tribal colleges, schools, and other places.