"Daughter of a Lost Bird"

Wins at Woodstock film festival

Back to News

Film takes home two
Feature Documentary awards

“Daughter of a Lost Bird” Q&A at the 2021 Woodstock Film Festival.
From left: April Kowalski, filmmaker/writer Brooke Pepion Swaney, editor Kristen Swanbeck, and composer and music performer Laura Ortman.
Photo credit: Pamela Yates. Vision Maker Media and Corporation for Public Broadcasting’s “Daughter of a Lost Bird” won two awards at the 2021 Woodstock Film Festival in New York,  “Feature Documentary – Best Emerging Filmmaker” and “NY Women in Film and Television Award for Best Female Director, Documentary.”

Feature Documentary Jury Statement from the Woodstock Film Festival Website:

“This nation was formed through the murder and displacement of indigenous peoples and the attempt to erase their culture and memory from the land. It is a truth that we rarely confront. But when Kendra Mylnechuk cold calls her birth mother in the opening of DAUGHTER OF A LOST BIRD she is drawn, almost reluctantly, into an exploration of this history and of her own complex feelings of guilt, belonging, and loss. For the intimacy and depth of her portrayal of Kendra’s journey, the Emerging Filmmaker Award goes to Brooke Pepion Swaney for DAUGHTER OF A LOST BIRD.”

The film is currently screening at the Vancouver International Film Festival and will be on PBS this fall.

 

Daughter of a Lost Bird Award Group Photo
Daughter of a Lost Bird Cover Image

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.

lynn palmanteer-holder

Lynn Palmanteer-Holder, an Indigenous plateau woman of North Central Washington and member of eight of twelve Tribes of the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation. Lynn recently retired as inaugural Director of Tribal Government Affairs for Washington State Board of Community and Technical Colleges, the state’s oversight agency of 34 CTCs.  She is a highly accomplished professional that spans over 40 years. She is an experienced educator that has a demonstrated history across K12, post-secondary & higher education as a teacher, school counselor, superintendent, researcher, and professor. Also, she has diverse experience as an entrepreneur, Tribal leader and administrator. She is skilled in curriculum and program development, facilitating government to government relationships that led to formal partnerships between state institutions and Tribes developing custom programs. Lynn has served on many boards and has been recognized for various statewide, and national awards. She has several scholarly publications and has done various conference presentations and speaking engagements, at the local, national and international level. Lynn holds a Ph.C. (ABD) in Social Welfare Policy from University of Washington. She earned her M.Ed., with a concentration in counseling psychology from Washington State University and B.Ed., in K12 Education from Eastern Washington University. Lynn is a wife of 49 years, a mother of three adult professional children, granny of 10 and great granny to two. Lynn and her husband are high school sweethearts, and together enjoy time with their 15+ two-legged blessings.