Who Plays Good Eagle in Netflix’s ‘Little House on the Prairie’? Meet 12-Year-Old Wren Zhawenim Gotts

It’s fitting that Gotts’ first line in Little House on the Prairie is in a Native language. She landed her breakout role on Marvel’s superhero miniseries Echo after her mom posted a viral video in 2020 of the then 6-year-old speaking Anishinaabemowin while playing with Legos. A member of the Sokaogon Chippewa tribe, Gotts grew up in Michigan and learned this traditional Ojibwe language by taking classes with scholars like Isadore Toulouse as a way to stay connected to her culture.

“Our language is very important, and it’s so beautiful,” she says. “We have such descriptive words that provide a deeper understanding of things than in English. For example, in my language, coffee is makade-mashkikiwaaboo, which means ‘black medicine water.’ When I was learning the Osage language, I realized there are a lot of similarities in that way.”

To ensure they depicted the Osage accurately, Sonnenshine and team tapped cultural consultants like Julie O’Keefe, who served in the same capacity on Killers of the Flower Moon. Throughout shooting, which took place mainly in Winnipeg, Canada, Gotts and O’Keefe became close, and the budding actress now affectionately refers to the Osage elder as her auntie. Gotts even assisted with on-set beading of props and wardrobe pieces like Christmas ornaments and a chief’s turban.

“When you hire a Native actor, you’re getting the full package,” says Gotts, who likes to surf, skate, and hoop dance in her free time. “We bring all the knowledge that has been passed down to us from our tribe. We show up on set with all these skills, like beading, hunting, fishing, and speaking our language.”

Gotts’ Indigenous costars brought their cultures and lived experiences to set, too. Ojibwe/Scottish actor Fairbrother (Avatar: The Last Airbender) plays mixed-race father figure Mitchell, who embraces progress and befriends the Ingalls. Opposite him, Cree actress Wapanatâhk (Peter Pan & Wendy) plays White Sun, who remains cynical of all the changes taking place. Together, they represent the Osage community’s conflicted feelings, reminding the audience that Indigenous perspectives aren’t monolithic.

(L to R) Alyssa Wapanatâhk as White Sun, Xander Cole as Little Puma in episode 102 of Little House on the Prairie.ERIC ZACHANOWICH/NETFLIX