Zintka!: Lost Bird of Wounded Knee – Zintkála Nuni

Zintka! is the companion book for the award winning short film Lost Bird. The book starts with the lyrics to the song “Little Bird – (Lost Bird of Wounded Knee)” written by Brad Colerick. Readers are then given beautiful pieces of art depicting Zintkála Nuni’s story. The breathtaking artwork makes the reader want to learn more about the woman.

About halfway through the book, Zintkála’s story is told by Scott Feldmann. Born in 1890 to a woman of the Lakota tribe, Zintkála was only four months old when her mother was killed during The Wounded Knee Massacre. It was unknown who her father was. The United States Army had infiltrated the tribe’s land, and Zintkála was looked at as a trophy. Three men put bids in on the baby girl, and General Leonard Wright Colby of the Nebraska National Guard won the bid. He brought her home to his wife, Clara, a women’s rights activist, writer, and newspaper publisher who studied with Susan B. Anthony. Expelled by several schools, Zintkála was rebellious. She wasn’t accepted by the white men and was rebuffed by tribal members. She was stuck in the middle of two different societies.

Zintkála’s story was well told, and the suffering endured by her and her native people was appalling. One hundred years after Zintkála died, her gravesite was located, and her body was exhumed and brought back to South Dakota, her native land.

The photos in the book paint a picture for the reader of what Zintkála, Clara, and Leonard looked like. I particularly liked the advertisement for the Sells-Floto Circus, which Zintkála and her husband Dick toured with. The wonderful pieces of history bring the book’s characters back to life after over one hundred years of being buried.

The book gives readers a timeline of Zintkála Nuni’s life, which I found very helpful in understanding the chronology of her story and where and when important events happened. Zintkála’s name and its meaning are also written about in depth. Zintkála Nuni means “Lost Bird” in the Lakota language and was often misspelled as Zintka Lanuni.

Although I found Zintkála’s story extremely interesting and educational, the book’s layout did not flow well. Starting with the song, then the artwork, Zintkála’s story, the timeline, and then the chapter about her name seemed out of order for someone who does not know who Zintkála is. I would have loved to have seen the artwork in the middle or back of the book once her timeline and story were told. It would make the book much easier to understand and the artwork easier to appreciate.

Also available in paperback ($16.99)