Tanisha was borne by a Hunkpapa Lakota Sioux woman who fought in the Battle of the Little Bighorn) and Tashina Topa Win ("Her Four Robes" or "Four Blankets Woman"; borne by the younger of Sitting Bull's last two wives). It is associated with traditional dancing. The name was brought to public attention by a Cheyenne character in the movie 'Windwalker' (1981), in which case it may be an alteration of the Cheyenne name Tashena, a shortened form of a longer name derived from taa'eeshe'he "moon".
The name was brought to public attention by a Cheyenne character in the movie 'Windwalker' (1981), in which case it may be an alteration of the Cheyenne name Tashena, a shortened form of a longer name derived from taa'eeshe'he "moon".