Jhane Myers
Jhane Myers is (Comanche/Blackfeet) is known for her attention to detail and dedication to producing, Native language, Native cultural advising, acting and fine art. Jhane is a Time Warner Native Producing Fellow in the Native American and Indigenous Program at the Sundance Institute. She was selected for the Fellowship with the project Words From A Bear, a documentary currently being directed by Jeffrey Palmer (Kiowa) on the life of Pulitzer prize winning Kiowa author N. Scott Momaday (House Made of Dawn; The Way To Rainy Mountain). The film is slated for broadcast in 2019 on PBS’ American Masters. Myers served as an associate producer on the documentary film, LaDonna Harris Indian 101, about acclaimed Comanche activist LaDonna Harris, which aired on PBS in 2014. And, she served as Associate Producer on Defending the Fire, a documentary about Native American warriors currently playing the film festival circuit. Early in her career, Myers established herself as a great cultural and community resource for Native-content projects being produced by networks and studios including: Monsters of God (Plan B/TNT); Magnificent Seven (MGM/Columbia Pictures); Wind River (Weinstein Co.); The Lone Ranger (Walt Disney/Jerry Bruckheimer Films); And, Apocalypto (Icon Ent/Touchstone). After working with so many non-Native created projects about Native people, Myers began to seek out a producing career to support Native filmmakers and storytellers to help bring their stories to fruition. She is a recipient of the 2018 Time Warner Story Fellowship.
Jhane Myers touches on every aspect of contemporary Native American art. When it comes to craftsmanship, performance, family tradition, historical research, and advancement of Native causes, she is an entire constellation unto herself. In all her activities, she projects the complex beauty of the American Indian way of life.
As an artist, Myers handcrafts exquisite dance regalia for herself and her four children, all of whom are powwow champions. She includes accents of horsehair as an acknowledgement of the Comanche Nation’s relationship with the horse. She has a scholarly knowledge of Plains Indian artifacts, and is renowned for her Comanche beadwork, plains dolls, and beadwork, which win all the top awards and which are included in museum collections. She also creates distinctive tribal dress-shaped pendants in sterling silver. Her Pendleton blanket coats sometimes include reclaimed fur colors.
“I am a fifth generation dressmaker from the Pennetukah (sugar eater) and Yaparukah (root eater) bands of the Comanche Nation, “ she says. “I feel blessed to have been raised with the knowledge and traditions of my people. Making a dress is a celebration of our traditional arts and a testament to the survival and will of our great people. My grandmother raised me to always be aware of where we came from and our ongoing struggles of our Native people. My art is an expressive combination of this celebration and perseverance.” Excerpt from “Contemporary Native American Artists” by Suzanne Deats and Kitty Leaken.
Jhane Myers is a Board of Directors member for Silver Bullet Productions. Silver Bullet Productions’ mission is to encourage educational achievement in New Mexico’s communities through a filmmaking program that empowers students, impacts academic opportunities, and preserves community culture and heritage.