Daughter of a Lost Bird

Documentary | Brooke Pepion Swaney

What does blood have to do with identity? Kendra Mylnechuk, an adult Native adoptee, born in 1980 at the cusp of the enactment of the Indian Child Welfare Act, is on a journey to reconnect with her birth family and discover her Lummi heritage.

57 minutes

Release: December 16, 2019

Expiration: December 16, 2023

Distributor: Independent Lens

BROOKE PEPION SWANEY

Director/Producer/Writer
BROOKE PEPION SWANEY (Blackfeet/Salish) is a 2014 Native Arts and Cultures Foundation Fellow and a 2013 Time Warner Fellow through the Sundance Institute. OK BREATHE AURALEE, her NYU graduate thesis film, screened at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival and has TV distribution with FNX (First Nations Experience, a PBS affiliate).

JERI RAFTER

Producer
JERI RAFTER has worked on feature films and television projects such as WINTER IN THE BLOOD (Alex & Andrew Smith), WINTER LIGHT (Julian Higgins, Oscar Nominee 2015) . . . . AND SO IT GOES (Rob Reiner). Her latest feature film project, BELLA VISTA, premiered in 2014 at the International Rotterdam Film Festival.

KENDRA MYLNECHUK

Producer
KENDRA MYLNECHUK is an actor featured in CHRISTMAS UNDER WRAPS (Hallmark), 2 DAYS IN NEW YORK, THE BLACKLIST (NBC), WINTER IN THE BLOOD and OK BREATHE AURALEE. This is her first time stepping behind the camera.

Walt Pourier

Vice Chair

Walt is Oglala Lakota and created the logo for Urban Rez. He is Creative Director, owner of Nakota Designs Advertising Designs and Graphics. Executive Director of the Stronghold Society nonprofit dedicated to instilling hope and supporting youth movements through Live Life Call To Action Campaigns.

JORDANA BASS

Project Coordinator​

(Hataža Mani Winga)​

"Cinema Aficionado"

Role: Jordana is excited to engage with different Native/Indigenous communities. Her passion for working with youth will help develop the Native Youth Media Project. She will also assist with the Creative Shorts Fellowship (CSF) to help organize deliverables for filmmakers.