Indiaanse gasten 2026

Amanda Erickson

Amanda Erickson is born for the San Carlos Apache of the White Water Clan.  She  is an unscripted storyteller committed to centering Indigenous voices and untold truths. Her journey of cultural reconnection and community healing inspired her directorial debut, She Cried That Day, a powerful and deeply personal exploration of the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Relatives (MMIWR) crisis through the eyes of Indigenous Women and Allies on the frontlines in New Mexico.

Before stepping into the director’s chair, Amanda spent 16 years as a producer creating impactful content for networks including Travel Channel, Nat Geo WILD, Discovery+, Hulu and CuriosityStream.  Her transition into independent documentary filmmaking is driven by a mission to bring fresh perspectives, nuanced representation, and urgent issues from Native communities to mainstream audiences.

FILMMAKER NOTE:

Growing up outside of community, I longed to understand what it meant to be Apache. It wasn’t until I was able to reconnect with my father that the missing pieces of myself returned. But everything changed the day he brought me to my first Sunrise Ceremony.  As we were approaching, I could hear the beating of the drums, a rhythmic pounding that echoed in my heart, pulling me closer. Suddenly I was standing beside hundreds of relatives praying, dancing and singing. My father leaned down and whispered, “You are home.”

That moment was transformative. I left the ceremony in awe of the power and strength I had witnessed and feeling the weight of responsibility to the long line of ancestors walking behind me. It was during this time; I began to hear about the unreported cases of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Relatives. That awakening led me on a six-year journey of listening and working with those that had been doing the work in community for so long.  Their strength reminded me of what I felt that day at the Sunrise Ceremony, a resilience, unity and purpose.

Karen Watson

Aunties are always holding it down in Native Communities.

Meet Karen – she gives ultimate Auntie vibes

When her big sister, Dione, needed her, Karen stepped up to help care for Dione’s children. Now, Karen is carrying the torch in this fight for justice alongside Christine and her mother, Debbie.

“I feel like I’m getting back to who I used to be, but better”

Karen Watson is currently advocating for her sister Dione Thomas’ case and works to support other MMIWR families through her work with Aunties for Justice. 

Debbie Begay

Meet Debbie – Mother, Grandmother, Force of Nature.

Debbie is the Matriarch of the family, whose unwavering strength guides the fight for justice for her daughter, Dione.

Driving across the country for meetings with a District Attorney who never shows, leaving countless messages for detectives that go unanswered, canvassing the streets for clues.

There’s no stopping a mother’s love.

Veronica “Yang” Toledo

Veronica ‘Yang’ Toledo (She/her)  is a 24 year old Diné and Chicana Multimedia Artist, Community Organizer and Advocate and Social Media Influencer. Yang was born and raised on the Diné (Navajo) Reservation in New Mexico. She uses her creativity and platform to advocate for social and environmental justice, community organizing and Indigenous culture.

I’ve always been inspired to become a storyteller by the strength, resiliency and stories of my ancestors. At a young age I had to acknowledge the harsh reality that as an Indigenous woman we are 2.5x more likely to experience violence and assault. I have to share my story and use my voice to support, uplift and advocate for injustices that harm our communities.

Darlene Gomez

She’s not here to make friends, she’s here to make change.

Meet Darlene: Mother, Lawyer and Whistleblower

As an attorney representing MMIWR families, she stands up for truth, for the cases everyone else wants to forget and she’s not afraid to be the loudest voice in the room if that’s what justice requires.

Darlene T. Gomez is a lifelong native of Northern New Mexico, having been born and raised in Lumberton where her ancestors homesteaded before New Mexico was incorporated into the United States. She has been practicing law for over 19 years and specializes in Indian Law, Complex Family Law, and advocating on behalf of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women & Relatives (MMIWR).

Darlene attended the University of New Mexico School of Law where she first began her pro bono work fighting for clean water in her hometown of Lumberton. She was the inaugural recipient of the Carlos Vigil Scholarship, among numerous other awards while in school.

Darlene is tirelessly passionate about giving a voice to the voiceless through her pro bono work. She has been a fierce advocate for primary and secondary victims of the MMIWR crisis since 2001 and spends much of her time organizing rallies, mentoring and advocating for secondary victims, preparing and distributing press releases, and serving as the attorney for 15 families of MMIWR victims. She is a founding member of the New Mexico MMIW Task Force and serves as the general counsel for the 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization Medicine Wheel Ride. She is widely considered a leading expert in MMIWR throughout the US and her persistent efforts on behalf of victims have led to an increase in domestic as well as international media attention for the MMIWR Public Health Crisis.