Hourglass: United Way of King County
Jul 6, 2026 · 17 min · 7 segments
Good news happens. This week's episode features a conversation about civic engagement with NAWDIM, the Native American Women’s Dialog on Infant Mortality. NAWDIM is a Seattle-based, United…
Joe BurrusHost
Shelley MeansGuest
Lee TannerGuest
Elections will be held for all 10 Washington seats in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Elections will also be held for nearly half the seats in the Washington State Senate, all 98 seats in the Washington House of Representatives, and more than half of the seats in the Washington Supreme Court.
In King County, six county-level offices are scheduled for re-election in 2026, including four of the nine King County Council seats and King County Elections Director.
In many local jurisdictions, elections for mayors, city councils, municipal judges, and school boards will be held.
That means many communities in our county will reap the attention of candidates from now until election day.
Their communities have enough voting age residents to make a difference in the outcome of elections.
That means candidates will put up posters in their communities, stop by stores or places of worship in their neighborhoods, perhaps even go door to door.
They include Indigenous residents, who comprise approximately 3% of Washington State's population and about 2% of King County's population.
And like everyone else, some Indigenous communities' issues align well with that of the general population, but many of their concerns are very specific to their communities.
Fortunately, there are indigenous organizations that are founded, staffed, and run by people from their communities who know firsthand of those concerns and are working to ensure communities' voices are heard during election cycles.
NOTAM is a Seattle-based United Way-supported collective of Indigenous care providers, community members, grandmothers, and allies who provide advocacy, education, and support for Indigenous infants, mothers, and families in Washington state.
NOTAM is working to bring Indigenous voices to the table in partnership with the Native Organizers Alliance, a Seattle-based national organization that provides Indigenous people with support and resources to enhance political power.
The two organizations are aligning with others to conduct the Indigenous Future Survey.
a national research project to amplify concerns of Indigenous people before, during, and after elections.
The survey probes which issues are at the forefront of Indigenous communities, as well as the levels of trust those communities have in elected officials.
Three such surveys have been conducted since 2020, and among their findings are that the top priorities among Indigenous people are environmental protection, tribal sovereignty, and the economy.
They found that 60% of respondents say that candidates' positions on priority issues influence how they vote, and less than half of respondents felt confident in the federal executive branch of government.
Naughtam says the surveys are currently being conducted in our area, and results and findings will likely be reported later this summer.
Since the fund was launched in 2020, we've granted about $5 million to local groups to address the many needs of King County's Indigenous communities.
Hourglass sat down with NAWDM co-coordinators Shelley Means and Lee Tanner about their efforts to ensure that state and local Indigenous voices are heard, particularly on the eve of this year's August primaries and November's general elections.
Elections will be held for all 10 Washington seats in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Elections will also be held for nearly half the seats in the Washington State Senate, all 98 seats in the Washington House of Representatives, and more than half of the seats in the Washington Supreme Court.
In King County, six county-level offices are scheduled for re-election in 2026, including four of the nine King County Council seats and King County Elections Director.
In many local jurisdictions, elections for mayors, city councils, municipal judges, and school boards will be held.
That means many communities in our county will reap the attention of candidates from now until election day.
Their communities have enough voting age residents to make a difference in the outcome of elections.
That means candidates will put up posters in their communities, stop by stores or places of worship in their neighborhoods, perhaps even go door to door.
They include Indigenous residents, who comprise approximately 3% of Washington State's population and about 2% of King County's population.
And like everyone else, some Indigenous communities' issues align well with that of the general population, but many of their concerns are very specific to their communities.
Fortunately, there are indigenous organizations that are founded, staffed, and run by people from their communities who know firsthand of those concerns and are working to ensure communities' voices are heard during election cycles.
NOTAM is a Seattle-based United Way-supported collective of Indigenous care providers, community members, grandmothers, and allies who provide advocacy, education, and support for Indigenous infants, mothers, and families in Washington state.
NOTAM is working to bring Indigenous voices to the table in partnership with the Native Organizers Alliance, a Seattle-based national organization that provides Indigenous people with support and resources to enhance political power.
The two organizations are aligning with others to conduct the Indigenous Future Survey.
a national research project to amplify concerns of Indigenous people before, during, and after elections.
The survey probes which issues are at the forefront of Indigenous communities, as well as the levels of trust those communities have in elected officials.
Three such surveys have been conducted since 2020, and among their findings are that the top priorities among Indigenous people are environmental protection, tribal sovereignty, and the economy.
They found that 60% of respondents say that candidates' positions on priority issues influence how they vote, and less than half of respondents felt confident in the federal executive branch of government.
Naughtam says the surveys are currently being conducted in our area, and results and findings will likely be reported later this summer.
Since the fund was launched in 2020, we've granted about $5 million to local groups to address the many needs of King County's Indigenous communities.
Hourglass sat down with NAWDM co-coordinators Shelley Means and Lee Tanner about their efforts to ensure that state and local Indigenous voices are heard, particularly on the eve of this year's August primaries and November's general elections.
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