565: Colleen Echohawk: The First Indigenous Woman Running for Mayor in a Major City
Over the past two decades, Colleen Echohawk has served the most marginalized people living in the Greater Seattle community. As the head of Chief Seattle Club, a non-profit dedicated to the rapid re-housing of urban Natives, Colleen led the effort to create nearly $100 million in new affordable housing in Seattle. Under Colleen\u2019s leadership, Chief Seattle Club has received recognition from the Puget Sound Sage Visionary for Justice Award (2018), the Neighborhood\nBuilder Award (2017), and the Municipal League of King County\u2019s Organization of the Year (2016).\nColleen is an enrolled member of the Kithehaki Band of the Pawnee Nation and a member of the Upper Athabascan people of Mentasta Lake. Colleen and her family have been proud to call Seattle home for over two decades. In her spare time, she loves to read, sing karaoke, take her dog Rizzo for a walk, listen to National Public Radio, and cook delicious food for her friends and family.\nShe has been recognized by numerous organizations, including the 21 Leaders to watch in 2021 by Seattle Magazine, the King County Martin Luther King Jr. Medal of Distinguished Service (2020), Seattle\u2019s most influential people by Seattle Magazine (November 2019), and many more.\xa0\nI got to hear Colleen speak a couple months ago and I immediately knew I wanted to ask her to be a guest on the show.\xa0I was so delighted and honored when she said yes.\xa0We could have spoken for hours.\xa0She is a powerhouse of a woman and leader and her mayoral platform is extraordinary.\xa0I know you will be so inspired by Colleen\u2019s stories and leadership.\nListen in to hear Colleen share:\n\nThe cost of leadership when you\u2019re a mom\n\nHer role as the first Indigenous women running for mayor in a major city\n\nThe identities she carries as a mayoral candidate, Indigenous woman, eldest sister of 7 siblings, and Shameless Mom\n\nHow she is using her mayoral platform to protect Seattle\u2019s most vulnerable citizens\n\nHow being an Indigenous women informs her leadership and deep desire to be a public servant\n\nThe evolution of Native identity in leadership\n\nThe intersection of motherhood and leadership and how her kids help her keep boundaries\n\nHer background serving Native people experiencing homelessness and how it\u2019s the foundation for her mayoral campaign\n\nHow she wants to see change and evolution in policing in Seattle\n\nHer focus on providing the city of Seattle an equitable recovery from COVID\n\nHer advice to other women who might be considering running for office\n\nLinks mentioned:\n\nJoin my free workshop, 5 Ways to Shine Like a Mother\n\n\nEchohawk For Seattle\n\nColleen on Instagram\n\nColleen on Facebook\n\nColleen on Twitter\n\n\nLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices