C.J. BOX

(Amy Schlatter via AP)LOS ANGELES – After ABC's “Big Sky” drew Native American censure for overlooking an epidemic of violence against Indigenous women and girls, its producers set about making changes. “Big Sky” was a plum for Disney-owned ABC, marking writer-producer David E. Kelley’s return to network TV after a string of cable successes ("Big Little Lies," “The Undoing”). They sought guidance from National Congress of American Indians, the largest and oldest representative body for America's nearly 600 tribal nations. The first “Big Sky” change was to add an on-screen message noting resources for victims of sexual or labor exploitation. She was heartened by the prospect of a major network paying heed to the crucial issue of violence against Native women, she said, calling producers sincere in their efforts.

Native American tribes and coalitions are condemning Big Sky, a Montana-set ABC drama, for ignoring the history of violence inflicted on Indigenous women and instead making whites the crime victims. On Tuesday, the makers of “Big Sky” broke their silence. They cited “Somebody's Daughter,” a documentary detailing the murdered and missing Indigenous women and girls crisis, as it's known to those fighting the scourge. They’re not asking for ‘Big Sky’ to be taken off the air,” he said, but instead be used to inform. While Lightning said she was “a little bit shocked” when she saw a Native American tragedy mirrored in a story but without Native American characters, her years working in Los Angeles meant she wasn’t surprised.