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PARK CITY — For 2,000 years, only the men of the Kazakh people in western Mongolia have hunted with eagles.
But 13-year-old Aisholpan is not only the first girl to break the barrier, she's also the star of a Sundance Film Festival kid's film, "The Eagle Huntress."
"I was 10 years old when I wanted to become an eagle huntress," said Aisholpan via her cousin, who interpreted for her and her parents.
"We are very excited and very happy for everything that is happening like this," said Aisholpan's cousin. "And they (parents) are very proud of their daughter."
Golden eagles can have a wingspan of seven-and-a-half feet and weigh between 15 to 20 pounds.
Aisholpan's father said he recognized that she had a special gift with the birds.
"When I saw her — how she was feeding the eagle, how she was carrying the eagle on her arm, and how she was looking after eagles — I thought that she might do this."
Members of the Comanche Nation brought eagles from Oklahoma to Park City to help Aisholpan demonstrate her abilities. Members of the Comanche Nation breed the eagles in captivity.
"They are a similar horse culture to the Comanche nation," said Bill Bover of the Comanche Nation Eagle Program. "The eagle is something that we've been connecting with for a long time. But to have them here, in a historic Comanche territory and to interact with them, is special for us."
Aisholpan said her eagle back home in Mongolia, named White Wings, is a bit bigger than one of the eagles brought in from Oklahoma. As Aisholpan balances to release her bird, she is also balancing the traditions of her people with life in a modern world.
Aisholpan believes the film has an important message.
"Girls and boys are the same strong," said Aisholpan. "So, if the boy can do something, girls can do this as well."
"The Eagle Huntress" has one more screening at Sundance at the Redstone Cinema this Saturday, and is recommended for children 12 years and older.
Contributing: Xoel Cardenas
