The Lost Bird Project is the creation of a production.

Lost Bird will be an episodic opera, based on the life of Zintkala Nuni. It is based on and inspired by the book Lost Bird of Wounded Knee: Spirit of the Lakota by Renée Sansom Flood. You can find out more about this fascinating, Pulitzer-nominated biography by clicking here.

Stephen Alexander will be creating the score for Lost Bird. As you will read, this is a journey, so other names may add to this creation along the way. More about Stephen Alexander.

Zintka's story is told on this website in several story pages. Zintka was discovered under the frozen body of her mother, four days after the Massacre at Wounded Knee in 1890. A dastardly character, Brigadier General Leonard Colby, who later became Asst. Attorney General of the US, adopted her. Her mother, Clara Colby, was a leader in the Suffragette movement, a strong friend of Susan B. Anthony, and the editor of the Votes for Women newspaper, The Women's Tribune.

As you will read in the story, Zintka's tale is epic in scope. It involves discrimination, alienation, infidelity, divorce, political scandal, and defrauding and atrocities committed against Native Americans. Its locales include back alley speak-easies, the grand World Expositions of the turn-of-the-century, cruel institutional homes and schools, Wild West shows, vaudeville, silent movies and unpeaceful gravesites.

Zintka's saga is, in other words, America's tale. It is about an indomitable Spirit, born into a dominating land. It's an extraordinary journey, full of great sorrow, told with great hope for healing.

His strange source guided Stephen Alexander to begin this project: the Crow. He sings the songs that Stephen places on music paper. Stephen received the Leslie O. Fulton Fellowship in June 2006, presented by the Portland Civic Theatre Guild, to help with this new work.

Stephen will be researching Lost Bird in many places: Montana, Wyoming, South Dakota, Los Angeles, and at his home in Portland, OR. You can read more about the research, development and workshop processes here.

The Lost Bird project is a passage of thousands of miles, with much to share. Stephen would love to hear about your thoughts - read and respond to his web log. Or contact him if you are interested in joining the voyage.