Aisholpan Nurgaiv achieved fame in Mongolia and beyond as the star of the 2016 documentary “The Eagle Huntress.” This 13-year-old girl helped to shift the attitudes of Mongolia’s dominant ethnic group toward the country’s Kazakh minority, of which she is part. Aisholpan studies at Ulgii secondary school in Bayan-Ulgii, which is a part of Mongolia that has a very large Kazakh ethnic population.  Last year, the Mongolian President awarded Aisholpan with the Order of the Polar Star, which is one of the country’s highest state honours.

However, some media wrongly translated and delivered her speech during meeting with Kazakhstan’s President, which resulted in some misunderstanding among Mongolians. According to an unnamed media source, Aisholpan is alleged to have said “‘Kazakhstan is my homeland although I was born and live in Mongolia. I am one of five million Kazakh population who lives abroad”. But, Aisholpan corrected this misinterpretation to clarify “Kazakhstan is my ancestor’s homeland. I am a Kazakh girl who was born in Mongolia and I am proud to be Mongolian.”

Currently, during school holidays, Aisholpan stays in Kazakhstan.