Lost Bird (Zintkála Nuni)

Giving voice to one whose own was taken from her was our vision. The song “Little Bird" (Lost Bird of Wounded Knee) was written and recorded with a Lakota drum and Native American flute to capture her bold spirit as well as her struggles. Visually, we referenced Lakota ledger art, a genre introduced by imprisoned American Indians and known for child-like simplicity of line and color. We used historic Lakota, Oglala, and Ioway illustrations on top of actual military records, reactionary telegraphs and broken treaties as the canvas for the characters at Wounded Knee.

When Zintka’s experience in white high-society was depicted, the ledgers were switched to newspaper stories and headlines that were about her. The characters and actual photos of Zintka became cut-outs, like the paper dolls she was reported to have enjoyed making.

Vintage silent movie film of her was discovered and digitized — seen here for perhaps the first time in a century. She was an extra, not a lead, so the moments are few and fleeting. Wherever possible, we utilized real-life photographic references, for instance; Zintka traveled the world with Buffalo Bill Cody’s Wild West Show, and tried to get a break in Vaudeville.

The baby called Zintkála Nuni was taken from her people (after her parents were killed, before she was even verbal.) The little girl Zintka was raised by a wealthy and powerful couple in Nebraska and Washington D.C., all the while tokenized as a trophy in the conquest of one ambitious culture over another. The young woman that emerged was conflicted, caught between two worlds, attempting acceptance in both, succeeding in neither. Splitting was used as a constant visual reference. Healing by referencing her in a constellation of ancestors while turning the flight of a lost bird into a prayerful pair of hands was our way of showing, as well as saying “You’re not alone.”

The song and film are a posthumous acknowledgement of a terrible tragedy — not just for one life, but for many. Our hope is that people will learn more about “Lost Bird” and the Native American Adoption Law recently upheld by the Supreme Court, and find a place in their hearts for Zintka.