Colleen Echohawk
OwnTrail
This Trailblazers series takes a look at the pivotal milestones that make up the life trails of inspiring women from a diverse array of backgrounds and experiences. We all know what social media profiles display about the end results women have achieved. This series is intended to take a deeper, more authentic look at the journeys they have taken to get there.
Colleen Echohawk is the executive director of Chief Seattle Club, a Native-led human services and affordable housing nonprofit, and is currently running for mayor of Seattle. She has spent her career addressing the root causes of homelessness and the systemic racism in our criminal justice system and is passionate about building community and creating equitable systems. Colleen is an enrolled member of the Kithehaki Band of the Pawnee Nation and a member of the Upper Athabascan people of Mentasta Lake. She grew up in Alaska as the oldest of eight siblings, and now lives in Seattle with her husband, two children and puppy.
After learning more about the trail that Colleen has blazed, I got the chance to ask her some questions.
Rebekah Bastian: Your trail hasn’t been linear, but there’s been a clear trendline around community and activism throughout it. How have you approached navigating your career and deciding what opportunities to embark on?
Colleen Echohawk: My career has been focused on serving the community and also serving my family. For example, I chose to work part-time at one point to help take care of my sister’s kids while she was in school. Now my sister is an accomplished scientist leading the way around Covid response. Even at Chief Seattle Club, I was first a board member there and wasn’t considering the Executive Director role. But I realized there was a whole group of people being left behind, and they needed me to step into the role. I don’t make these decisions purely as an individual, but on behalf of people that need support. I ask myself, “Is this of service to my family? Is this of service to my community?” If there is a need in the community and I can be of support, that’s what I’ll do.
Bastian: Did you imagine going into politics when you set out on your career journey?
Echohawk: I didn’t set out to get into politics, but I have dedicated my life to public service. Right now, the skills I have are the ones that we need in our community. I had a lot of people asking me if I’d run for mayor, because my work expertise is directly related to the biggest issues facing our city. I came to the realization that in many ways, my ancestors have pushed me towards this moment, and I should jump into it without fear. I believe in my ancestor’s guidance in my life, and I believe Indigenous leadership is how we’ll see healing in our community.
I’m really fortunate to come from strong women leaders. My grandma was the first woman to join the Delta Junction Businessmen’s Association. My other grandma fought for subsistence rights in Alaska and pioneered a huge legal case around Native people having the rights to fish for themselves. She’s famous for saying, “I didn’t really want to do this, but no one else was, so I stepped up.” Female leadership in this time of recovery is going to be really important.
Bastian: You strike me as an incredibly authentic and value-driven person. How do you stay true to yourself and practice self care in the midst of your political journey?
Echohawk: This was one of my biggest concerns about going into politics. I want to be good to the core. I want to live a life of integrity and wellness that is committed to my family and my community. I want to be a mayor that practices humility and accountability, which are attributes I’ve inherited from the Native community. Our motto for this campaign is People First, which means putting people’s needs at the forefront of our policies.
One of the ways I’m staying true to myself is through the support of my husband, my neighbors, and my friends and family around the country. I feel blessed and lucky to have that kind of support. I’ve asked my good friends to hold me accountable, letting them know, “If I do something self-serving, call me on that.”
I’ll also be taking care of myself by building a great team to help with the work. That’s one of the most important skills I bring to this role: the ability to bring together great people and set them loose to get things done.
Bastian: What advice do you have for other people that are considering running for elected positions where they would be the first of their identity in that office?
Echohawk: Be courageous. Imagine yourself in the position, think about the things you’re going to do there and have that be your North Star. I keep thinking, “When I’m Mayor and I’m talking to someone from a BIPOC-led organization, I’m going to understand them and lift them up.” I keep thinking about how much I can do, how much I love this city, and how I can give everyone opportunities to live and thrive here. Think about all the good you can do, and don’t let the other stuff tear you down.
Also, think about what it means to be the first. It’s hard because you have no role model, there’s no one else that has done it before. But once you do it, you’ll be that role model. It’s important that my kids and other kids see someone like me in that position. I want them to see that they can be courageous and they can do hard things.
Native people have survived a lot, we’ve gone through hard things. Our leadership is going to be important for our country as we move forward.
