High Noon Talk: Cinematic Comanches
Programs
December 6, 2023 12:00pm - 1:00pm
Discover the fascinating history of Comanches in media with Dustin Tahmahkera.
Event Details
High Noon Talks are back and better than ever! Get ready to discover interesting and often untold stories of Texas at our classic, casual lunchtime talk series.
Join professor, author, and playwright Dustin Tahmahkera and Bullock Curator James McReynolds for a panel discussion about Dr. Tahmahkera’s newest book, Cinematic Comanches: The Lone Ranger in the Media Borderlands featuring film clips that portray real and fictional Comanches. For centuries Comanches have captivated imaginations, yet their story in popular accounts abruptly stops with the so-called fall of the Comanche empire in 1875 when Quanah Parker led Comanches onto the reservation in southwestern Oklahoma. In Cinematic Comanches, the first tribal-specific history of Comanches in film and media, Parker descendant Dustin Tahmahkera examines how Comanches represent themselves and are represented by others in recent media. Telling a story of Comanche family and extended kin and their relations to film, Tahmahkera tells the history of Comanches as a vibrant story of cinematic traditions, agency, and cultural continuity.
Program is FREE to the public and is eligible for CPE credit, email Education@thestoryoftexas.com.
Dustin Tahmahkera: Born in the Comanche Nation capital of Lawton, Oklahoma, Dr. Dustin Tahmahkera is a parent of four, playwright and performer of Comanche-centric theatre, and professor of Indigenous media and sound at the University of Oklahoma, where he serves as the Wick Cary Chair of Native American Cultural Studies. A dual citizen of the Comanche Nation and the United States with the Tahmahkera and Lacefield families from southwestern Oklahoma, he engages the history and futurity of creative Natives’ images, sounds, and performances through onscreen, onstage, and on-mic oral and aural storytellers, performers, and cultural critics. In all, he uses his art and writing to strengthen relational accountability, well-being, and bridge-building in the spirit of his creative and intelligent ancestors.
James McReynolds: Associate Curator of Special Projects, James McReynolds, is an experienced museum professional. He earned a Master’s Degree in History and has worked at the Bullock Texas State History Museum in several capacities, including as Head of Public Programs in the education department, and now as part of the team developing concepts and content for exhibitions at the Museum.
Public programs at the Bullock Museum explore relevant history and celebrate the culture that has shaped our modern world. Through engaging discussions, performances, and scholarship visitors are invited to see local connections and discover how Texas fits into a broader national story.
Your Support Matters
Help us continue to share the story of Texas through free programs with a tax-deductible donation.
Enjoy discounts, exclusive programs, and free access to exhibitions year-round by becoming a member of the Bullock Museum.
The Bullock Museum, a division of the Texas State Preservation Board, is funded by Museum members, donors, and patrons, the Texas State History Museum Foundation, and the State of Texas.
