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She Cried That Day.
Heather interviews the filmmakers behind a documentary on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, with a particular focus on two sisters who are courageously fighting for justice for their murdered sister. It’s an incredibly powerful conversation — thoughtful, and handled with real care.
In 2015, Dione Thomas was allegedly murdered by her boyfriend in Gallup, NM. She Cried That Day is a feature documentary directed by Amanda Erickson that examines the unresolved death of Indigenous woman Dione Thomas, and the ongoing fight for justice by her family. Through intimate access to Thomas’s sisters and their advocacy within New Mexico’s Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Relatives (MMIWR) movement (website), the film exposes the systemic failures surrounding Indigenous women’s cases while honoring the resilience, strength, and determination of those left behind.
Amanda Erickson
Amanda Erickson is an Ndé (Apache) filmmaker and the director of She Cried That Day. The documentary marks her feature debut and reflects the systemic failures happening in New Mexico in regards to MMIW and more specifically, the case of Dion Thomas (website).
Christine Means
Christine Means is Dione Thomas’s sister and a central voice in the film. After Dione’s death in 2015, Means became an advocate within the MMIWR movement, publicly demanding answers and justice for her sister and other Indigenous women.
Karen Watson
Karen Watson is another of Dione Thomas’s sisters and appears in the film sharing the family’s grief and frustration over the lack of resolution in Dione’s case. She supports ongoing advocacy efforts to bring awareness to violence against Indigenous women. Karen is also involved in the Aunties for Justice organization/advocacy group (website).
Darlene Gomez
Darlene Gomez (website) is an attorney and Indigenous rights advocate who appears in the documentary providing legal insight and support for families affected by the MMIWR crisis, including Dione Thomas’s family. Darlene was a founding member of the task force for NM MMIW and exposes some of the failures happening at the state level.
New Mexico Department of Justice (website)
Email Amanda Erickson at amanda@seesclearlyproductions.com for information on the documentary and how to bring it to your organization
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