Ep.32 | UNITY's Mary Kim Titla

For Episode 32 of the Native Edge Podcast, Chris is joined by guest co-host Nicole Watson for a conversation with UNITY Executive Director Mary Kim Titla. UNITY and The National Center have long had a close relationship, including sharing office space in the same building in Mesa, Arizona and UNITY co-hosting events and programming at the annual Reservation Economic Summit.

It was a great chance to catch up with Mary Kim and learn about her fascinating career and the work UNITY does to empower Native youth. Mary Kim began her career as a journalist, and later became an entrepreneur in her own right and ran for political office before taking the helm of UNITY in 2013.

In addition, Mary Kim joined Chris and others on a recent trade mission to New Zealand where they connected with the Māori community in the country. Chris and Kim reflect on the similarities and differences between the Indigenous communities in New Zealand and the United States, and how these conversations can lead to future collaboration and knowledge sharing.

Take a listen - and stay on until the end to learn how you can have "coffee with Chris"!

UNITY |
https://unityinc.org/

Mary Kim Titla  |
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mary-kim-titla-81199161/

Chapters

• 0:55 Intro
• 6:03 Meet Mary Kim
• 7:57 Joining The National Center in New Zealand
• 13:45 Maori Protocols and Interconnectedness
• 16:49 International Indigenous Connections
• 19:10 Mary's Story
• 21:53 Education Is the Key to Success
• 24:37 The Pope and Mary's First Big Break
• 27:12 Covering The Suns
• 28:40 Finding Inspiration from Everyday People
• 29:59 Developing Professionalism
• 32:15 Understanding Reporting in Indian Country
• 36:39 Stepping Away from Journalism
• 39:43 The Eye-Opening Experience of Running for Office
• 44:01 Opportunity at UNITY
• 46:51 Background on UNITY
• 49:30 Empowering Native Youth
• 52:52 UNITY Introduces Mary to Leadership
• 55:53 Getting Comfortable with Public Speaking
• 58:45 Instilling Confidence in Today's Youth
• 1:02:58 Understanding Different Needs
• 1:05:55 Importance of Paying Attention to Youth
• 1:07:04 Wrap Up