Breaking Cycles of Violence Materials

Amanda Erickson is born for the San Carlos Apache of the White Water Clan on her father’s side. She is the producer and director of the film, She Cried That Day. Before making her directorial debut, Amanda worked as a non-fiction TV Producer for 15 years, where she created compelling programming for networks like: Travel Channel, National Geographic WILD, Investigation Discovery, and CuriosityStream. Amanda is a member of Brown Girls Doc Mafia, Array Crew, and resident Teaching Artist for newportFILM. Through her company, Sees Clearly Productions, Amanda aims to inspire social change by amplifying issues facing Indigenous communities. 

James June is a member of the Navajo Tribe and resides in Farmington, NM with his Family. He is a motivational speaker, comedian, and entrepreneur/business owner for the past 25 years in performing arts.

Clans: Red Water Clan born for the Bear Clan. Paternal Clan: Water Edge. Maternal Clan: Tangle Clan. Hopi Clan: Road Runner Clan – Hotevilla, AZ 

Originally from Red Valley, AZ, born in Shiprock, NM. 

James tours internationally and is 30years Sober & Drug Free. 

He is a COLON Cancer survivor, twice, survived 2 Battles. 

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.

Instagram and TikTok: @indigenousiconyang

*The Jingle Dress is an Ojibwe healing dress. The prayer dance originated a decade ago from a dream from an Ojibwe elder. The sacred dance represents the powerful significance of Indigenous healing, resilience, connection and community strength.

Senator Linda M. Lopez is a native New Mexican.  She was elected to serve in the NM State Senate in 1996 representing District 11 in Southwest Bernalillo County.  She is Chair of the Senate Health and Public Affairs Committee and a member of the Senate Rules Committee.  She served as Chair of the Senate Rules Committee from 2002-2020. She served as Co-Chair of the Legislative Ethics Committee from 2012-2022. Senator Lopez earned her bachelor’s degree in Business Management from the College of Santa Fe, followed in 1992 with an MBA.  She has sponsored anti-racism, equal pay for equal work, funding for domestic violence and sexual assault programs and  paper ballots for elections to name  just a few. Sen. Lopez serves as a Commissioner to the Office of Family Representation and member of the NM Supreme Court’s Children’s Court Improvement Commission.  She recently received the first Annual Legacy Award of Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta in 2023. She is a single parent, has a 24-year-old son, Lorenzo and a 13-year-old daughter, Cherish Rose.

Elena Giacci (Diné) She is a historical trauma education specialist and a Anti-Sexual violence advocate with decades of successful training experience with a special consideration to American Indian people, underserved . and diverse communities. She has over 36 years’ experience in the Violence Against Women field and has a B.A. in Criminal Justice. Elena was Chair of the Albuquerque Mayors Anti Domestic and Sexual Violence Task Force where she and members of the task force created the first Albuquerque Police Department National Model for Limited English Policies.  Ms. Giacci was co- investigator with Dr. Elizabeth Miller in the research study by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development: Partner Violence and Reproductive Coercion among Native American Women. Elena was the Faculty Leader on the National Native Project 2.0 in cooperation with a Nationwide organization. She is member of  the Governor’s commission on Office of Family Representation and Advocacy (Ofra)and Sheriff’s Office Advisory Board.

Mary Rodriguez began her law career training as a public defender at the University of Washington Tribal Court Public Defense Clinic and worked as a tribal public defender for several Washington State tribes. Mary became the Director of Advocacy at the Center of Indigenous Research and Justice, and continued practicing tribal public defense. In her current role, as a Program Attorney at the National American Indian Court Judges Association (NAICJA), Mary works on the policy side of tribal courts and programming related to traditional justice and holistic defense. Mary is a former resident of Seattle, having received both her B.A. and J.D. from the University of Washington. Mary currently works remotely for NAICJA and her home base is Los Angeles, CA. 

Peggy Bird is of the Sun Clan from Kewa Pueblo, New Mexico. She is mom, grandmother, judge, an advocate/attorney/consultant/human rights activist and works to enhance the sovereignty of indigenous women by ending violence against Native women, both nationally and internationally. Peggy is a co-founder of the Coalition to Stop Violence Against Native Women, Inc., the Native Women’s Advocacy Center, Inc., and the Indigenous Women’s Human Rights Collective, Inc. She is a board member of Tewa Women United, Inc., and NAICJA. She received the National Crime Victims Service Award granted by the U.S. Department of Justice and the Sunshine Peace Award granted by the Sunshine Lady Foundation and the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence. She has been a member of the State Bar of New Mexico since October 1990. She received her Doctorate of Philosophy on May 7, 2018 from Arizona State University. 

Johnny Medina-McCraigie (she/her), a member of the Colville Confederated Tribes, brings experience in project management, coalition building, and community-led research. With a Bachelor of Social Work, she has led housing and food justice initiatives in the Denver metro area, advocating for Native and communities of color. Her work in philanthropy has further strengthened her commitment to supporting tribal communities and nonprofits. In her position at NAICJA, Johnny works alongside tribal court grantees, providing support in tribal justice system capacity building. 

Outside of work, Johnny enjoys beading, sewing, and being involved in the community. 

Hailey holds a Juris Doctorate from the University of New Mexico School of Law and Bachelors of Arts in Political Science and Psychology. Prior to joining the Southwest Women’s Law Center, she was a Public Defender in the Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court where she enjoyed advocating for her clients. In her
current role, Hailey provides free civil legal representation, advice, and brief services to Native individuals experiencing domestic violence and intimate partner violence, with a focus on protection orders, child custody, and child support in Tribal Courts across New Mexico. In this work, she actively centers survivor safety, autonomy, and access to justice. Hailey is passionate about trauma-informed advocacy that supports domestic violence survivors with dignity, choice, and respect.

Lisa Howley currently supports the Supportive Housing Operations Manager with the Behavioral Health Services Division (BHSD)/Health Care Authority (HCA). She has been an employee of BHSD/HCA since 2014 and began as the Screening Brief Intervention Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) Coordinator until 2017 when She became the Supportive Housing Coordinator and then Supportive Housing Manager in 2021. Her tenure with state government began in 2004, and she has been a state employee for over 20 years. She worked for the Children Youth and Families Department for 9 years. Under CYFD, She was an Investigator of child abuse and neglect with Child Protective Services (CPS) for over a year and a Juvenile Probation/Parole Officer with Juvenile Justice Services (JJS) for 8 years. She has enjoyed the learning and growth involved with state government roles and more specifically the knowledge she has acquired related to housing. 

Tanaya Winder is an accomplished author, singer-songwriter, poet, and motivational speaker from the Duckwater Shoshone Nation. Her intertribal heritage includes Southern Ute and Pyramid Lake Paiute lineages. She holds a Bachelor of Arts from Stanford University and a Master of Fine Arts from the University of New Mexico. Winder’s poetry collections include “Words Like Love” and “Why Storms Are Named After People and Bullets Remain Nameless.” She combines storytelling, singing, and poetry to delve into themes of healing, love, and discovering one’s purpose—what she calls “heartwork.” Tanaya emphasizes the importance of storytelling as a form of medicine and encourages individuals to harness their voices as a source of power. 

Elaine Williams is an experienced social worker with over twenty years of experience. She is currently contracting as an ICWA Expert and Social Worker Contractor for the Office of Respondent Parents’ Counsel (ORPC) in Colorado. In addition, the owner of ICWA Consulting Services, LLC. to provide technical support to stakeholders connected to the child welfare system to ensure compliance with ICWA regulations. Her relevant professional experience also includes serving as an Indian Child Welfare Specialist/County Intermediary for the State of Colorado, focusing on monitoring and improving ICWA compliance across county departments, and working as a Permanency Social Caseworker, conducting safety assessments, providing case management, and testifying in court. She holds a Qualified Expert Witness (QEW) certification from the National Indian Child Welfare Association, effective June 2024. As an enrolled Tribal member of Jemez Pueblo, NM, it is her passion to support all areas of ICWA practice. She is also a board member of the Denver Indian Family Resource Center in CO where she supports Indian parents in child welfare cases 

Presenters are Los Lunas High School students from various Native communities. Ms.Tish Howard, Native American Liaison, serves as their mentor. 

David Adams is the co-founder of Parnall & Adams Law, LLC, a firm that focuses on investigations into civil rights violations, severe injuries, wrongful death, and various forms of Tribal Law. A member of the Sault St. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, David brings a unique dual perspective to his practice, having previously served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) and advocate for justice. During his tenure with the Department of Justice, David spearheaded a pilot initiative under the Office on Violence Against Women, earning formal recognition from U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch for his contributions to public safety in Indian Country. Today, David serves as a board member for the New Mexico Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs, the New Mexico Indian Bar Association, and the StrongHearts Native Helpline. David trains around the country on issues involving sovereignty and violent crime and is dedicated to ensuring that court systems serve as a forum for safety and accountability for Indigenous women. He is based in Albuquerque, New Mexico 

Karen Watson is a community activist raising awareness around Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Relatives. Karen is an impacted family member who has been integral in raising awareness around the “She Cried That Day” Film, which features the story of her sister Dionne Means, who was murdered in Gallup, New Mexico in 2015. Karen is a powerful voice in raising awareness and sharing resources for impacted families across New Mexico.

Sheyahshe Littledave is an enrolled member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and a co-host of We Are Resilient, an Indigenous-led podcast focused on Missing and Murdered Indigenous People (MMIP), violence against Indigenous women, and the systemic failures that allow these harms to persist. Through case-based storytelling, their work centers the humanity of those who are missing or murdered while honoring the voices of families and communities impacted by violence. Sheyahshe is a domestic violence survivor, published author, and advocate whose lived experience informs the podcast’s trauma-aware and ethical approach to storytelling and advocacy. They use media as a tool for education, accountability, and community awareness, to disrupt cycles of violence and support collective healing across Tribal Nations. 

Amanda Richards is a Public Information Officer with the New Mexico State Police. With nearly a decade of law enforcement experience, she is responsible for communicating critical public safety information and strengthening  transparency between NMSP and the communities they serve. Officer Richards works closely with media partners and  leadership on high-profile and sensitive incidents, as well as statewide public safety initiatives. She has played a role in public  communication surrounding New Mexico’s alert systems, including the implementation of the Turquoise Alert, which is  designed to enhance response efforts for missing and endangered Indigenous persons. 

Sharnen is an enrolled member of the Jicarilla Apache Nation in Dulce, New Mexico, and is half Navajo from Hogback,  New Mexico. She holds a Bachelor of Social Work and Master of Social Work from New Mexico Highlands University. As the  Domestic Violence Program Manager, she oversees program operations focused on domestic violence, sexual assault,  prevention, and crisis intervention at Jicarilla Behavioral Health. For the past nine years, she has been a fierce advocate for  survivors in her community, providing direct services and support. In 2019, Sharnen was appointed by Governor Michelle  Lujan Grisham to serve on the New Mexico Missing and Murdered Indigenous Task Force. She also plays a vital role in the  Sexual Assault Response Team (SART), ensuring a trauma-informed, survivor-centered response to sexual violence.  Sharnen’s passion lies in giving a voice to victims and survivors, offering care, safety, and support to those in need.

Malyneath Vong is the founder of Project Broken Arrow, an initiative under The Project Foundation focused on prevention, awareness, and community-informed responses to violence affecting Native communities in the Gallup region and surrounding Tribal Nations. As a Cambodian American from a refugee family who resettled in the United States after fleeing genocide, her work is informed by lived experience and a commitment to culturally responsive, healing-centered approaches. Malyneath has served for nearly a decade with the Long Beach Human Trafficking Task Force in one of the nation’s largest cities. In New Mexico, she has supported coordination efforts to connect Native victims to shelter and services across jurisdictions, including assisting with a Feather Alert response involving the return of a Tribal victim from Los Angeles to Oklahoma, and coordinating shelter support for an identified victim in Gallup requiring placement in Farmington. 

Healers of Tomorrow

To respect privacy and safety, we are not including a biography for our youth speakers. We are honored to have their voice and presence as part of this gathering.

Ada Pecos Melton (Jemez) is an expert in justice, victimization, public policy, and program development with over three decades of experience. Her work centers on tribal justice, health, social services, education systems, violence against Native women, human trafficking, victim services, and community wellness. She has led numerous national, regional, and local studies involving Native women, children, and youth. She offers technical assistance on strategic planning, code development, justice systems, trauma-informed and culturally grounded practices, and data and information sharing with tribes nationwide. Her public service includes: Director of the AI/AN Desk at the U.S. Office of Justice Programs; Court Administrator/Chief Probation Officer at Laguna Pueblo; and adjunct faculty. She has authored many reports, studies, and articles, establishing her as a leading voice in Native-focused research and practice. She holds a Master’s in Public Administration and a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice from the University of New Mexico. 

Renae Gray (Diné) is an advocate and educator dedicated to empowering Native Transgender and TwoSpirit individuals. Holding a degree in Community Health Education and Sociology, her work bridges public health and social justice. Renae served on the Indigenous Outreach Team for the U.S. Trans Survey and has researched health indicators among Native women in sex work. A compelling speaker, she has trained diverse groups, including the FBI and hospital staff, on culturally informed care and LGBTQ2S+ history. Having navigated systemic discrimination and violence, Renae’s advocacy is a testament to her resilience. She is committed to bridging systemic gaps and creating an equitable world where the voices of Indigenous transgender people are accurately represented and protected.

Misty (Thomas) Flowers is a member of the Santee Sioux Nation and a descendant of the Tlingit of Alaska. She brings 20 years of child welfare experience and is recognized for her leadership in Indigenous advocacy. She holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln and has served in key roles with the Nebraska Indian Child Welfare Coalition and the Honoring Indigenous Families Research project. She currently serves as the senior child welfare fellow at the National Indian Child Welfare Association (NICWA). During her tenure with her Tribe, she helped establish a Domestic Violence Shelter and is a survivor of DV and SA. Her honors include being named a White House Champion of Change for DV Awareness, University of Nebraska Alumni Association’s Early Achiever Award, Milo Mumgaard Emerging Leader Award, Jackie Gaughan Multicultural Center Wall of Fame, and NICWA Organizational Member of the Year Award.

Tobi Jolly is a member of Waskaganish Eeyoud and Mocreebec Eeyoud – a James Bay Cree of the Eeyou Istchee. She is also the proud daughter of a Metis mother. She is the child, niece, grandchild, and great grandchild of Indian Residential School Survivors. Currently Tobi works for Siloam Mission in Winnipeg as the Director of Community Wellness, bringing cultural, spiritual, and wellness programming to those experiencing homelessness in Winnipeg. Prior roles have included familial and community support positions for individuals, families and communities impacted by Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and 2S/gender diverse relatives. Tobi has sat as a member of Giganawenimaanaanig for several years, with a focus on collaboratively decolonizing Justice and law enforcement spaces for Indigenous families of MMIWG2S+.

Victoria L. Murphy originally joined Animal Protection New Mexico (APNM) in 2012 as the Animal Shelter Program Manager, and is currently the Program Director, responsible for the Equine Protection Fund & the Companion Animal Rescue Effort (CARE & Co-Sheltering Program). Victoria brings a wealth of experience and enthusiasm to her work, having held positions in both animal sheltering and humane law enforcement services in New Mexico for various agencies over the years. From 2012-2014, Victoria was responsible for developing new ways to maximize New Mexico animal shelters’ ability to humanely care for companion animals, increase adoptions and spay/neuter, reduce euthanasia, and increase funding and training access. She also served on New Mexico’s Animal Sheltering board responsible for humane euthanasia rules & requirements in New Mexico animal shelters. She understands the needs of companion animals, equines and their families in both domestic violence situations, as well as people seeking emergency medical or financial assistance for equines. Victoria uses her diverse knowledge and skills to connect and provide direct aid and assistance to communities, families, animals and animal adovcates across New Mexico. 

As a Creative Healing Consultant and Artist, Tara Evonne Trudell, (Santee Sioux/Rarámuri/Xicana) weaves multiple mixed media of handmade paper beads, poetry, photography, film, and audio components into her work to express her creative visions that address the many social issues she sees as a continuance of generational trauma on women and children. Tara makes beads from the many reports, research, data, and survivor stories to amplify their voices and resources that need to be shared in all communities.  Tara offers her personal experience of being a grandmother, granddaughter, daughter, mother, sister, and one day a future ancestor as an opening to bear witness to others who are struggling with their own intergenerational abuse and trauma. Tara shares her own healing journey for others to relate and join her in the navigation of changing this painful and harmful narrative. It is through this guidance of spirit reclamation and empowering personal energy that can come from our own making prayer beads that address the many colonial and oppressive narratives in a manner that dates back to 100,000 BC when beads were first discovered. It is from our own history, words, images, and worlds can we reshape and reclaim our connection to spirit. With one bead at a time, we can reclaim a time and place before harm entered our ways of life. This becomes the stepping off point for the return of our personal power.  Incorporating these hand made beads as her own personal regalia, Tara is on a lifelong journey in the reclamation of her identity to earth and spirit by remembering her indigenous connection and ceremonies. An artist that she hopes represents and advocates for earth and humanity to stimulate action and a sense of community care that needs to be shared between all nations. Tara has done extensive prayer bead workshops with women survivors of sexual assault, human trafficking, domestic violence, community and youth groups, & immigrants/refugees. 

Visit Tara’s Website: /https://www.taraevonnetrudell.com/

Stephanie Padilla was raised on the Pueblo of Isleta but also has family in the Pueblos of Laguna and Cochiti. Stephanie currently serves as a child welfare attorney for the Pueblo of Isleta where she assists in the mitigation of abuse and neglect and truancy cases. She also assists in the implementation of the Indian Child Welfare Act and Indian Family Protection Act within her community and throughout the State. Stephanie also currently serves as the chairperson of the NMDOJ Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples Task Force.

Gwen Kasero is a Supervisory Victim Specialist with the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), Office of Justice Services Victim Assistance Program. She currently supervises the BIA Victims Specialists stationed in New Mexico, southern Colorado, Arizona, Nevada, and Utah. Gwen began her career with the Bureau of Indian Affairs as a Victim Specialist in 2015, where she provided victim assistance to the Crow and Northern Cheyenne tribes in Montana, the San Carlos and White Mountain Apache Tribes in Arizona, and the Laguna Agency and Southern Pueblo Agency in New Mexico. She was previously employed with the Pueblo of Laguna as a Crime Victim Witness Advocate for five years and a Social Services Specialist for two years. Gwen has earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Briar Cliff University in Sioux City, Iowa, a Master of Arts in Counseling from the University of New Mexico, and a master’s in legal studies from the University of Oklahoma.

To view CSVANW Staff and Board of Directors involved in our Agenda and overall programming, please view here: https://csvanw.org/about-us/