New Documentary Highlights MMIWR Crisis and Search for Justice

“I know how true crime can be done. I know how it can be exploitative, and I didn’t want that for this,” says filmmaker Amanda Erickson. Her documentary, She Cried That Day, moves beyond the sensationalism often found in crime media to focus on the systemic failures and personal grief defining the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Relatives (MMIWR) crisis.

According to a report by The Paper, the film follows the yearslong search for answers by a New Mexico family, centering on the story of Christine Means and her sister, Dione. Dione died in 2015 after being discovered unconscious and bloody in a Gallup motel room. The documentary is set to air on PBS World starting November 5 as part of Native American Heritage Month, providing a platform for a crisis that often struggles for sustained public attention.

A personal journey into Apache heritage

For Erickson, a member of the San Carlos Apache Tribe, the project was born from a deep personal reconnection with her roots. After spending nearly 20 years in New York City working in television production for daytime talk shows and documentary series, Erickson found herself seeking a different kind of purpose. Growing up in Massachusetts away from her tribal community, she often faced questions regarding her sense of belonging.

A turning point occurred when she reconnected with her father and attended her first Sunrise Ceremony in Bylas, Arizona. Erickson noted that the experience fundamentally changed her, instilling a desire to give back to her community. This drive eventually led her to the MMIWR task force meetings, where she first heard Christine Means speak about her sister in November 2019.

Systemic hurdles for grieving families

The documentary highlights the friction between Indigenous families and the institutional structures meant to serve them. Erickson spent six years filming, working closely with community organizations such as the Three Sisters Collective and the Coalition to Stop Violence Against Native Women. Through this process, she documented the specific obstacles families face when attempting to navigate law enforcement and government systems.

Families frequently report a lack of transparency from investigative agencies. Erickson observed cases where families were left without updates, only to discover that investigations had been closed without their knowledge. This lack of communication creates a cycle of uncertainty that complicates the pursuit of justice.

The stakes of these systemic failures are immense, affecting not just individual families but the broader stability of Indigenous communities across the Southwest. When investigative agencies fail to maintain open lines of communication, it erodes trust in the very institutions designed to provide protection and accountability.

Moving from awareness to legislative action

While the film aims to educate a national audience, Erickson is focused on practical outcomes. She is currently working with families to develop potential legislation that would mandate better communication between investigative agencies and the families of the missing or murdered.

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The filmmaker expressed frustration with the cyclical nature of public interest in these issues. “There’s this cycle of attention and then silence,” Erickson said, suggesting that visibility alone is insufficient without structural reform.

She Cried That Day airs Thursday, Nov. 5, at 5 p.m. Mountain Time on PBS World, and the film is also available for streaming through PBS.