The Daughter of Dawn

Produced in the Wichita Mountains of Oklahoma Wildlife Refuge in 1920, director Norbert A. Myles's The Daughter of Dawn is a fictional drama of tribal life cast entirely with Native Americans, mostly drawn from the Kiowa and Comanche tribes. The story revolves around a romantic triangle—Kiowa warrior Black Wolf (Jack Sankey-Doty) is in love with the daughter (Esther LeBarre) of the chief but she loves White Eagle (White Parker), so a test of courage is undertaken to win her hand. The principals also face conflict with the nearby Comanche tribe, which is sending raiding parties into Kiowa territory and kidnapping women for brides. Although not a documentary, The Daughter of Dawn does feature culturally accurate costumes, dances, and rituals, and it captures the distinctive beauty of the Wichita Mountains before the encroachment of Western civilization. The film disappeared soon after its premiere in 1920 and was thought lost until the Oklahoma Historical Society acquired a collector's print and spent years restoring the film, which was added to the Library of Congress National Film Registry in 2013. Both an entertaining adventure and a unique piece of American cultural history, this will be of special interest to Native American collections. Extras include featurettes produced by the Oklahoma Historical Society on the history and rediscovery of the film. Recommended. (S. Axmaker)