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Documentary Film

Currently in Production

In Montana, indigenous women and girls make up only 3 - 4% of the population but they account for approximately 30% of those deemed missing by the Montana Department of Justice.

In the midst of the widespread crisis of missing and murdered indigenous women (MMIW), three families who have suffered devastating loss navigate a society and legal system that have a long history of indifference toward the struggles of indigenous families. Alongside these stories, indigenous scholars Sarah Deer and Annita Lucchesi guide us through the broader context of the crisis.

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Ashely Loring Heavyrunner went missing on the Blackfeet reservation in Northern Montana in 2017. In the years since her disappearance, her sister Kimberly has spent countless hours searching for any evidence on a reservation the size of Delaware. It took 10 months for the FBI to finally begin an investigation into Ashley’s case, after Kimberly traveled to Washington DC and testified before congress.

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In 2015, Lonette Keehner, a member of the Blackfeet tribe, was murdered by two white supremacists at the Super 8 Motel, where she had worked for over 20 years. The newspapers simply referred to Lonette as a housekeeper; to her family, she was much more than that, and it was devastating to see her life reduced to those words. Since her death, Lonette’s daughter Nicole has been working to tell her mother’s story while raising the voices of others who have been lost to the crisis. Lonette’s killers have been brought to trial, but the DA declined to include hate crime charges in their case.

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In 2017 Bonnie Three Irons went missing near the Wolf Mountains on the Crow reservation. After struggling to file a missing person’s report with the local tribal police, her family organized a search party of their own, finding Bonnie’s body in just three hours. No one has been charged, and the “open investigation” appears non-existent. Bonnie’s mother Jennifer continues to struggle to come to terms with the loss of her daughter and the injustice that comes with investigating crime in “Indian Country”.

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Directed by

Ivan and Ivy MacDonald

Ivan and Ivy are siblings and enrolled members of the Blackfeet Tribe of Northern Montana. They have direct personal experience with the crisis in their own family. Together they have spent the last two and a half years documenting stories around the state giving voice to the communities that they work with.

Ivan holds a masters degree in social work and has spent years working with indigenous communities in various settings; prisons, mental health, activist spaces, providing counseling and conducting interviews for research.

He has produced and directed work for ESPN and the ACLU and was a Fourth World Media Fellow for Tracey Rector's indigenous filmmaker program.

Ivy graduated from the University of Montana in 2017 with a BFA in Digital Filmmaking.

Together they have spent time developing intimate relationships with people and communities deeply affected by the MMIW crisis. They have gained the trust of families who want their stories to be told and they are dedicated to giving voice to these stories.

Watch a Sample Clip Here

Filmed in 2017 as part of the research for this project, this is a look into the story of Jennifer Whitbear, mother of Bonny Three Irons

 

Press

  • High Country News May 4, 2018

    Why we tell stories of the missing and murdered

  • Associated Press August 30, 2018

    #NotInvisible: Why are Native American women vanishing?

  • Face The State June 25, 2018

    Missing and murdered indigenous women in Montana

  • Missoulian Feb 13, 2019

    Film screening spotlights Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women

  • American Filmmaker - Josh Hyde October 6, 2019

    A podcast about filmmaking, the creative journey, tai chi, fine teas, and the obstacles to being an American Filmmaker.

  • NBC Nightly News January 20, 2019

    Native American families seek justice for women missing or killed in unsolved crimes

  • Great Falls Tribune February 10, 2021

    Snowbird fund launches to support families search for missing Indigenous people

Made Possible With Support From

 
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Make a donation.

This film project is made possible through generous donations from people like you.

Tax deductible donations can be made through our 501(c)3 fiscal sponsor :

Big Sky Documentary Film Institute

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