The Santa Fe New Mexican and Rio Grande Sun profile the Amherst alumna who plays grieving mother Helen Atcitty on the acclaimed new murder mystery series. DezBaa’ (also known as Sharon Anne Henderson) is a member of the Navajo Nation, on whose land the show is set.
The articles describe DezBaa’’s current and prior acting roles, and the involvement of other members of her family in Dark Winds and in influencing her career path. They also mention her educational background, which includes studying at Amherst College, Northern New Mexico College and the Institute of American Indian Arts.
“Above all, DezBaa’ has ambitions of becoming a top film creative,” writes Jessica Pollard in the New Mexican, “so she can shine a light on the path for others like her who struggle to find role models in the industry.” Dezbaa’ states her desire to “help other, primarily Indigenous, creatives figure out how to do it.”
(Though not named in the articles, actor Joe Manuel Gallegos Jr. ’05 and supervising sound editor Scott G.G. Haller ’85 also worked on Dark Winds.)