Rita Smallhill

**Rita Smallhill** is Bear's mother.

## History

### Childhood

As children, Natalie, Bev, Teenie, Rita, and Cookie were all friends. They choreographed an elaborate dance routine together.

### Daniel's Funeral

When Daniel Jackson died by suicide, Rita attended his funeral.

### Going Out

Bear went to the bathroom one evening to find Rita getting ready to go out. She told him she was trying to find him a new father, because his father was an Indian rapper and hadn't been around much.

### Bear Fighting

Rita was working at the clinic one day when Dr. Kang came to her and, in an attempt to flirt with her, told her Bear was punched in the face. She raced outside to Bear and broke up a fight between the Rez Dogs and the NDN Mafia.

### Punkin's Visit

Rita was upset when she learned that Clinton had booked Bear's father, Punkin Lusty, to perform at the anti-diabetes wellness fair. Part of her wanted to sabotage the concert while the other part wanted to be professional. She called Punkin, upset that he hadn't told her himself about the visit. He asked if he could stay on her couch, which would allow him to pocket the money they were paying for his hotel. Instead of answering, she hung up on him.

Rita went home and tried to tell Bear that his father was coming to town only to find that Bear already knew and was preparing for the visit.

Rita then went out to a bar, where she met David and went home with him. The next morning, she was delighted to wake up in a very fancy house, meaning David was rich. She found him at his dining room table and he told her he was a doctor who had three adult children. However, then she noticed he had a tattoo of a Confederate flag surrounded by feathers on his arm. She asked him about it and he said he was a Skynyrd fan and he found Indian women the most attractive. He also lived on land purchased from a Creek man who had fallen on hard times. Rita decided she needed to leave.

Rita went home and found Bear had purchased new clothes and a gift for Punkin. She talked to Punkin on the phone and asked if he'd left yet. He said that his flight was in the morning and he wouldn't miss it. She warned him not to let Bear down.

The next day, Rita and Bear went to the fair, but learned that Punkin hadn't gotten on his flight. He claimed it got cancelled and made a show of pretending to book a private jet to come visit anyway. Both Rita and Bear knew he was lying and once they hung up, Rita promised Bear she would cut Punkin off completely if he wanted. She then took him home, where they watched Godzilla with the other Rez Dogs.

### Tornado

Bear was worried because when a tornado came through town, he texted his mom several times, but got no response. When he went home after the tornado, he was relieved his mom was there. She told him she'd make dinner and they could eat at the table.

### Bear's First Day

When Bear got a job as a roofer, Rita bought him a tool belt. She saw him attempting to scuff it up before he got picked up for his first day and was upset because she'd just gotten it for him. He was also embarrassed that she brought his forgotten thermos out to the car for him.

At the end of the day, Bear came home and told Rita he'd pay the electric bill that month.

### Mabel's Death

Rita came to Mabel's house as she was dying. When Teenie arrived after being away for many years, she and Rita made peace over it. As they cooked, they talked about Cookie and how Mabel always took care of all of them. Elora was surprised, as Mabel had always been cold toward her, which Rita said was because she changed when Cookie died. It changed all of them.

Rita was in the room when Mabel took her final breaths. When Elora left, Rita held Teenie and they comforted each other.

### IHS Conference

Rita attended the IHS conference with Natalie, Bev, and Teenie. They all immediately started looking for men to hook up with. They then went together to the vendors, where Priscilla gave Natalie and Rita, the two mothers, stones to use for pelvic floor exercises while Teenie and Bev got vaginal steams.

When Rita caught the attention of Sam, a doctor, they all encouraged her to snag him. When she agreed to meet him at the bar later, they all went back to the same hotel room, where they set up the vaginal steam for Rita.

Once they were all ready, they went to the bar. Teenie passed out edibles to all of them, though Rita was reluctant to eat hers. Once the marijuana kicked in, the four of them went onto the dance floor, where they imagined themselves performing an elaborate dance routine as they'd done when they were children, but really, they were awkwardly shuffling around the floor.

As the night progressed, they started reminiscing and Rita and Natalie both said they missed the days before they were mothers. This led to a disagreement between them and Teenie, who had no children, but didn't agree that her life was easier because of that. She ended up leaving in anger.

Natalie and Rita went back to the dance floor, but when Natalie spotted Sam, she pointed Rita in his direction. Rita psyched herself up to talk to him, but bailed when he saw another woman talking to him.

Rita went to the bathroom, where she discovered her period had started. She cried out in frustration and Teenie heard her from the next stall. Teenie passed her a tampon and reassured her that Native men don't care. Rita said she was sure a niece had scooped him. Teenie was used to that because city men wouldn't look at any woman who was older than 25. Rita said she just wanted to feel sexy again.

Rita and Teenie went back to a room together and Rita said that Teenie's life looked good from her point of view. Teenie, on the other hand, wanted Rita's life. They ended up watching movies together.

The next morning, they were all hungover as they left the hotel to go back home.

### NARDS Youth Summit

Rita had Bear help her set things up for the NARDS Youth Summit as penance for throwing a party while she was at the IHS Conference. She told him all his friends would be coming as well. As the teens gathered, Rita welcomed them all then had Old Man Fixico start them off with an opening ceremony. When the teens started to show signs of boredom early in the day, she told them they had to stay until the end to get their gift cards.

Rita later participated when the teens were paired off to do a potato dance with a partner while holding a potato up with their foreheads. She was with Dr. Yang, but backed up and let the potato drop when he said she smelled good.

At lunch, Rita was surprised to see Bev not eating until Bev explained that the woman who made the food had it in for her because Bev had snagged her man and her son.

### Bear's Trip to California

When Bear and the other Rez Dogs left together to go to California, but then had their car and money stolen, Rita called Teenie, who had been dispatched to picked up the kids and bring them home to Kern. Rita called Teenie, who was in an Uber on her way to the kids, and told her to tell Bear he was grounded for a year. Later, Rita came to the bus station to welcome the kids home only for all of them to get a shock when Bear didn't get off the bus.

### Bingo and Punishment

Rita was helping with a Bingo game at the IHS, but was bored, so she left, saying she had better things to do. She, Leon, and Bev worked together to punish the Rez Dogs for leaving without telling anyone. She was additionally upset that Bear wouldn't tell her how he got home, because she didn't believe that Deer Lady brought him. The kids were all assigned to cleaning tasks.

### Promotion and Talking to Cookie

Rita was at work one day when Clinton came to her and told her she'd be getting an email offering a promotion. She'd be doing the same work, but for a larger clinic for almost twice the money, in either Oklahoma City or Albuquerque. She told Bev about the promotion, but she wasn't sure she was going to take it because she'd never lived outside of Okern and she had Bear. Bev told her not to worry about Bear because he was grown.

Rita went home and while she was contemplating the promotion, Cookie appeared in her bed and scared her. She ended up going to Bear's bed for the night to avoid her and the next morning, she had Bev squeeze her in with Larry, the psychiatrist, but she found that his advice didn't help her.

Rita went back home and agreed to play Wahoo with Cookie. Cookie bet Rita and said if she won, Rita had to take her wherever she wanted to go and if Rita won, Cookie would stop haunting her. Rita ended the game and said she'd just take Cookie where she wanted.

They went to Rob-n-Cleo's, where Rita got catfish for them and drew eyes when she appeared to be talking to herself. From there, they went to see Elora. Rita told Elora about her promotion and learned that Elora was applying to college. She told her that her mom would be proud of her, which made Cookie happy. After they left, Cookie said she'd been trying to talk to Elora for years, but Elora could never hear her. She advised Rita to lived her life because she could. Her son was grown and she should take the promotion.

Rita went home and asked Bear about his trip to California, specifically what they'd done to say goodbye to Daniel. Then she gathered Bev and Natalie and they went to a bridge, where they said goodbye to Cookie and told her if was okay go to. Rita then told Bev and Natalie that she was going to take the promotion. They told her they'd look out for Bear if he decided to stay and she told them to look out for Elora as well.

### Fixico's Funeral and Moving

When Old Man Fixico died, Rita was one of the many who came to mourn him. She helped the other women cook for everyone. After the funeral, Jackie and Bear helped her pack her things and saw her off as she moved away for her new job.

## Personality

She is a strong, independent woman. She has raised Bear on her own with little to no help from Bear's absent father. Rita worked hard to give Bear a good home and a life to be proud of. She has a tough love approach and she does not pull punches; she lets Bear know that life is hard and what you make of it is up to you.

## Relationships

### Romantic

She was involved with Punkin Lusty, which resulted in the birth of her son, Bear.

### Familial

She raised Bear on her own after Punkin left.

## Appearances

 **#02** | "NDN Clinic"
 **#03** | "Uncle Brownie"

## References

1. ↑ Wide Net, 2x05
2. ↑ I Still Believe, 2x10
3. ↑ F\*ckin' Rez Dogs, 1x01
4. ↑ NDN Clinic, 1x02
5. ↑ What About Your Dad, 1x04
6. ↑ Satvrday, 1x08
7. ↑ Roofing, 2x03
8. ↑ Mabel, 2x04
9. ↑ Wide Net, 2x05
10. ↑ Decolonativization, 2x06
11. ↑ BUSSIN', 3x01
12. ↑ Friday, 3x04
13. ↑ Wahoo!, 3x07
14. ↑ Dig, 3x10
15. ↑ What About Your Dad, 1x04