This stirs my soul. Craig Rullman alerted me to this film yesterday and I cannot wait to see it. I already sent two messages to our local indie theater operator.
The Eagle Huntress, a documentary film set in Mongolia directed by Otto Bell and starring teenager Aisholpan Nurgaiv, debuted Sunday at Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. With its focus on a charismatic girl who has accomplished something other women have not in 2,000 years — she hunts on horseback with the help of a golden eagle — the film has earned standing ovations.
Aisholpan’s family members are nomadic Kazakh herders of the Altai mountains region who base their subsistence economy on herding cattle and goats. An essential supplement to the herders’ livelihood comes from the practice of training golden-eagle chicks to become their close partners in the hunting of foxes and other small mammals used for food and clothing.
This specialized hunting practice — woven into the fabric of everyday life and celebrated at regional competitions — has been an entirely male endeavor throughout its history, passed down in families from generation to generation.
Now, just as climate change threatens this way of life and as only 250 eagle hunters remain in Mongolia, Aisholpan is coming to the world’s attention as the first woman eagle huntress.
Representatives of the Comanche Nation came to Sundance gave Aisholpan a name in their language. This whole thing is just inexpressibly beautiful. The joy in Aisholpan’s face….
Norman Andrews says
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Y3Dl0BGFfw
The BBC showed this girl last year on it’s Human Planet series. A short bit of it is now on youtube.
I agree it does stir the soul.
Norm.
JimC says
Thx for that!
Lane Batot says
Wow–would I ever like to see THAT! Maybe one day on DVD? I JUST finally ordered a copy of “Wolf Totem”, which did not show in my podunk town’s theatre when it came out–I can’t wait to see that–also about nomadic Mongols(the book is also excellent–a BESTSELLER in China!) And not to steal this girl’s thunder or anything, but Steve Bodio’s female friend has been hunting with eagles and these people for YEARS, but she’s not an ethnic Mongolian. Check her out on Bodio’s “Querencia” blog……
JimC says
I’m gonna email Steve on this today.
Lane Batot says
…..and they not only take “small game” with these powerful flying feathered dinosaurs, but large hoofed mammals and even WOLVES! Yeah, I know, when I first read about that, I thought, “Well, maybe YOUNG wolf pups or some such…..” But NO–these eagles are capable of KILLING fully grown, perfectly healthy ADULT wolves! They usually grip the wolf’s spine(eventually puncturing it) with one foot, and clamp the other over the wolf’s jaws as it turns to fight–effectively taking the wolf’s main weapon–it’s jaws–out of the equation. Doubt me? Look it up on YouTube! One of the BEST videos is “hunting wolves with a golden eagle in Mongolia, Kazajstan-ky” INCREDIBLE!……..
Lane Batot says
….That video I mentioned starts out with some shots of splendid PAINTINGS, but be patient, and you’ll see some actual footage! Great Mongolian soundtrack, too! And another dog-association from moi–I actually now have two “Tazis” in my current pack–which are Kazakhstan’s version of a Saluki–given to me by a splendid Russian fellow who visited these nomadic Kazakhs, and acquired some of their dogs, which are used at times to hunt along with the eagles. Of course Steve Bodio has been keeping Tazis for some time in New Mexico to hunt with his falcons……
Keith West says
My son is adopted and was born in Kazakhstan. We WILL be seeing this movie. Thanks for the heads-up.
JimC says
Oh, that”s cool!
Bill Valenti says
In 1994, then-Prime Minister of Mongolia, Jasrai, made a state visit to the US. I hosted him in Seattle, and one of the events was a meeting between Jasrai and Bernie Whitebear, head of the Northwest Tribes Coalition. (Whitebear was a famous activist, one of the band of Native Americans who took over Alcatraz in the 1980’s). Jasrai spoke of the migration of Mongolian tribes to North America, as the “origin story” of Native Americans, and Whitebear (in jest or dead serious) said that story was complete BS: Native Americans came first, and migrated Westward to populate Mongolia! They both had a laugh! That was a pretty powerful experience for me!
JimC says
Great story.
Craig Rullman says
It’s real dusty in my office all of a sudden…
JimC says
No kiddin’…
Matthew says
When I started reading Harold Lamb, his fictional stories about Khlit the Cossack and his nonfiction book March of the Barbarians about the Mongolian Empire, I noticed how similar the cultures of the Asian steppes were to American Indian tribes. Of course, the Mongols at least are distantly related to the tribes that came over the Bering Strait. (Though the Cossacks might be a bit more like the Scotch-Irish pioneers than the Indians.)
JimC says
Khlit the Cossack needs his own post here…
Keith West says
I’ve read a few of those and need to read the rest. I’ve got the Bison Books collections. Time to dive back into them.
Matthew says
I found an old collection of Khlit stories at the local library and have a few of his biographies.
Howard Andrew Jones says
I heard about this the other day, and really look forward to seeing it! I’ve deliberately NOT sought out more information so that I can be pleasantly surprised. Given the subject it’s not likely to be over publicized so that I accidentally find out about it before hand.
JimC says
Honored to have you here!
Rick Schwertfeger says
It took 11 months, but my wife Marcia and I just saw “The Eagle Huntress.”
Everything that has been said about it is true. As Marcia said, “It is beautiful in so many ways.”
I’m kind of without words. I guess I’ll just say, “Simply extraordinary.”
JimC says
Yes!