Amber Midthunder
Midthunder in 2017, photo by kathclick/www.bigstockphoto.com/
Birth Name: Amber Thunder Rose Midthunder
Place of Birth: Shiprock, New Mexico, U.S.
Date of Birth: April 26, 1997
Ethnicity:
*paternal grandfather – Norwegian, some English
*paternal grandmother – Assiniboine Sioux Native American
*mother – English, Chinese-possibly Thai
Amber Midthunder is an American actress and filmmaker. Her roles include the films Not Forgotten, Spare Parts (2015), Hell or High Water, Priceless (2016), 14 Cameras, She’s Missing, Centurion: The Dancing Stallion, The Marksman, The Ice Road, The Wheel (2021), Prey (2022), Dream Scenario, Rez Ball, Opus, and Novocaine (2025); and the series Longmire, Banshee, Legion, The Misadventures of Psyche & Me, Roswell, New Mexico; Long Gone Gulch, Avatar: The Last Airbender, and Monarch: Legacy of Monsters.
She was born on the Navajo Nation in Shiprock, the daughter of Angelique Midthunder, a casting director and stuntperson, and David Midthunder, an actor. Her father was born in Montana, and is of Sioux Native American descent on one side, and Norwegian, and some English, descent on the other. Amber and her father are members of the Fort Peck Sioux and Assiniboine Indian Reservation. Her mother was born in Bangkok, Thailand, and has English and Chinese, possibly Chinese-Thai, ancestry. Amber’s mother has stated:
I was born in Thailand during the Vietnam War… the people who adopted me and raised me… were neighbors to my biological mother. Through friendship and conversation, they decided that I would be adopted and raised in America. I don’t know that I ever would have made it to “Hollywood” from Bangkok otherwise! As an adult, I’ve come full circle and Thailand has my heart… I now travel to Thailand as often as possible and the real work that I am passionate about is in helping the animals. Elephant Nature Park & Soi Dog Foundation are what inspire me most in life these days.
Amber spent much of her childhood in Santa Fe, Mexico, and later also returned to Shiprock.
Amber’s paternal grandfather was Elmer Elias Midthun (the son of Aslag/Aslak Nilsen/Nilson Midthun and Edith Maureen Stenersen/Stenerson). Elmer was born in Montana. Aslag was born in Bergen, Hordaland, Norway, the son of Nils Aslaksson Svalheim/Midtun and Anna Sofie Olsdotter Svalheim. Edith was born in Minnesota, the daughter of John H. Stenerson, who was Norwegian, and of Abbie Person/Persons, who had English ancestry.
Amber’s paternal grandmother was Cynthia Rose Hamilton (the daughter of Harvey Hamilton and Angel/Angie Armstrong). Cynthia was born in Montana, and was a Sioux Native American, of the Assiniboine tribe. Harvey was the son of Pipe Hamilton and Chief Woman. Angel was the daughter of Bun Armstrong and Two Woman.
Amber’s (likely adoptive) maternal grandfather was James Thomas “Tom” Roehm (the son of Lester F. Roehm and Helen Reed). James served in the Vietnam War, in which the U.S. had many soldiers stationed in Thailand around the time of Amber’s mother’s birth. James raised Amber’s mother, but it is not (publicly) clear if he is her biological father. Lester was the son of Jacob Louis Roehm, whose parents were German, and of Bertha Unkauf, who was German.
Amber’s (likely adoptive) maternal grandmother is named Priscilla Donaby.
Sources: https://www.cowboysindians.com
Article mentioning Amber’s ancestry (page 288) – http://en.calameo.com
Genealogy of Amber Midthunder – https://www.geni.com
Amber’s paternal grandfather, Elmer Elias Midthun, on the 1920 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Elmer Elias Midthun on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Elmer Elias Midthun on the 1940 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Amber’s paternal great-great-grandmother, Abbie Person/Persons, on the 1880 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Amber’s paternal grandmother, Cynthia Rose Hamilton, on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Cynthia Rose Hamilton on the 1940 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Obituary of Amber’s paternal grandmother, Cynthia Rose (Hamilton) Midthun – http://billingsgazette.com
Marriage record of Amber’s paternal great-grandparents, Harvey Hamilton and Angel/Angie Armstrong – https://www.familysearch.org
Obituary of Amber’s maternal grandfather, James Thomas “Tom” Roehm – http://www.legacy.com
https://mixedasianmedia.com/embrace-it-all-perspective-from-angelique-midthunder
A quote from her mother:
“I was born in Thailand during the Vietnam War. My “real parents,” (the people who adopted me and raised me), were neighbors to my biological mother. Through friendship and conversation, they decided that I would be adopted and raised in America. I don’t know that I ever would have made it to “Hollywood” from Bangkok otherwise! As an adult, I’ve come full circle and Thailand has my heart. I have spoken to many people of the mixed-Asian diaspora who have experienced the same thing that I do — a calling home to the motherland. I now travel to Thailand as often as possible and the real work that I am passionate about is in helping the animals. Elephant Nature Park & Soi Dog Foundation are what inspire me most in life these days!”
The article also says “She is of mixed Thai – Chinese & British – American heritage”, although Thai-Chinese could just mean ethnically Chinese from Thailand.
Certainly an unconventional mix, pretty girl…
Is her grandmother Priscilla actually part Asian?:
https://sidewaysspirals.wordpress.com/priscilla-roehm/
It’s not totally clear from the picture but she could be. The reason why I wasn’t sure if James was Amber’s biological grandfather was because I thought his wife Priscilla was white (because of her name), meaning at least one of them wasn’t her biological grandparent. But if Priscilla is part Asian, I’d lean towards her and James being Amber’s biological grandparents.
Now I noticed that her mother described herself as a “hapa” and says she is adopted in her Instagram bio. So then it’s probably the case that neither parent is her biological one, I guess.
To me, she doesn’t look Native American. She looks white with a 1/4 asian almost white-passing like phoebe cates & haille steinfield especially in this pic.
https://www.geni.com/people/Amber-Midthunder/6000000075944235104
Aslag was the son of Nils Aslaksson Midtun and Anna Sofie Olsdotter Svalheim.
I didn’t think there would be two Abbies, who were born 1868 in Minnesota, to a Vermont-born father and a Maine-born mother, but that appears to be the case. One of them is likely Amber’s ancestor.
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MZ94-D36
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MZM1-NBQ
Angelique (Roehm) —> Angelique Midthunder (Angelique Susan Roehm)
Remove “likely” before “maternal grandfather”. There’s a comment from Angelique on James’ obituary where she says he is her father.
Lester Roehm and Helen —> Lester F. Roehm and Helen Reed
Lester was the son of Jacob Louis Roehm, whose parents were German, and Bertha Unkauf, who was German.
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/128209505
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVTH-13YQ
Well, I didn’t mean that James was her biological grandfather. He IS her grandfather, but if they have any blood connection or not I don’t know. Maybe someone else who knows more about these types of cases, where American soldiers had relationships with Asian women while in service and the babies were sent to America, could comment. Given the circumstances, is it more likely Amber’s mother was sent to live with her biological father or with a completely unrelated family?