Zintka!: Lost Bird of Wounded Knee – Zintkála Nuni

Zintka! is a comprehensive account of Zintkála Nuni’s life, also known as Lost Bird of Wounded Knee. As an infant, she survived the Wounded Knee Massacre and was taken away by a White soldier as a trophy. This led to a life torn between her adoptive White family and the Indigenous Lakota community. The book, a companion to a film documentary of the same name, provides a detailed narrative of Zintkála Nuni’s life, from her experiences in Indian boarding schools to her involvement in circuses, vaudeville, and Hollywood silent films before her untimely death in 1920, during the nationwide influenza epidemic.

Collaborators singer-songwriter Brad Colerick and artist Scott Feldmann combine art, song, and narratives to illustrate the sorrow of Zintka’s sad life, which has been forgotten for seventy years. The rediscovery of her story—which led to her reburial at Wounded Knee in 1991—underscores the impacts of historical trauma and the resilience of Indigenous peoples. She was forcibly taken from her Lakota community as part of the assimilation policies during the colonization period. In boarding schools, she faced rejection and challenges in school due to racism and the perception of Native Americans as “uncivilized.” She often encountered rejection from both children and adults in her White mother’s social circles. After being expelled for rebellious behavior, Zintka found work in entertainment. She bore children in three marriages and endured intimate partner violence.

I reviewed the book from my perspective as a decolonizing settler colonist on Turtle Island (North America). Readers seeking to understand the complexities of identity and belonging and the lasting effects of colonization and genocide on Indigenous peoples would benefit from exploring Zintkála Nuni’s life story. While I was well aware of the destruction of Indigenous communities, learning about Zintkála Nuni’s story broke my heart all over again.

The skillfully rendered volume contains poetry, song, and essays, offering striking visual representations of Zintkála Nuni’s journey and the historical context surrounding her experiences. The use of various public domain images, ledger art, and documents from institutions like the Library of Congress and the Smithsonian, along with ghostly illustrations, provides a captivating visual representation of her life and the historical context surrounding her experiences.

The book would be compelling for readers interested in Native American history and the effects of colonization on Indigenous communities. The authors create a compelling narrative, highlighting how Zintka’s tragic story was shaped by Manifest Destiny, the Wounded Knee Massacre, the breaking of treaties, the gold rush, and Indian boarding schools. The fate of Zintkála Nuni sheds light on the devastating impact of colonization and forced assimilation on Native Americans.