MY WORK        

I work with clients, including tribal organizations, conservation groups, and mission-driven nonprofits, to help them communicate impact, convene people well, and move complex work forward. My role often sits at the intersection of strategy and execution—shaping the narrative, designing the experience, and producing work that is grounded, credible, and useful to decision-makers.

Below are a few representative examples of the kind of work I do. Each reflects a different context, but a consistent approach: clarity of purpose, respect for community, and high-quality execution.

Coeur d’Alene Tribe

Natural Resources Department

Water Potato Day 2025

Video, Photography, Strategic Communications

Water Potato Day is a community-centered gathering rooted in seasonal practice, cultural continuity, and relationship to land. I documented the event through video and photography with the intent of honoring the day as it was experienced—without over-narrating or extracting meaning for an outside audience.

The work focused on visual storytelling that could live in multiple places: internal use, community sharing, and future educational or outreach efforts. Care was taken to reflect the tone of the gathering itself—grounded, relational, and led by the community.

Outcome:

A visual record that preserved the integrity of the event while creating flexible assets the organization can use over time.

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The Wilderness Society

Native Lands Partnership

Alliance for Environmental Stewardship Summit

Facilitation, Photography, Coalition Building

I led a two-day Indigenous-led facilitation for the Alliance for Indigenous Environmental Stewardship (AIES), convening Native professionals working across the conservation field. Hosted on Suquamish Territory, the summit created space for relationship-building, strategy, and collective direction for Indigenous staff navigating systems not built for them.

The convening combined structured facilitation with cultural grounding—story mapping, shared meals, canoe-based healing practices, and facilitated dialogue on policy, advocacy, workforce retention, and leadership. I also documented the gathering through photography to support funder reporting and future storytelling.

Outcome:

The summit strengthened cross-organizational relationships, increased alignment around shared advocacy goals, and built momentum for AIES’s continued growth and formalization.

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HEAL Gathering 2025

Coeur d’Alene Tribe Natural Resources Department

Storytelling for the Next Generation

Facilitation, Video

In partnership with the Coeur d’Alene Tribe’s Natural Resource Department, I designed and led hands-on storytelling and digital media workshops for 40 Tribal youth during the five-day HEAL Gathering, an environmental justice and leadership training rooted in culture, health, and land.

Through practical sessions on video, messaging, and story development, youth created and shared their own narratives about place, identity, and environmental responsibility. I also supported facilitation across the gathering, helping integrate storytelling into the broader learning experience.

Outcome:

Youth left with concrete media skills and original story content, strengthening their ability to carry forward community knowledge and advocate for their lands and futures.

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Previous Projects

Before launching Maria Givens Consulting, I led and contributed to the following projects in collaboration with trusted partners and clients.

Newman’s Own Foundation

Grantee Storytelling

Video, Photography

I led a grantee storytelling effort to help translate on-the-ground impact into clear, credible narratives for funders and partners. Through video interviews and field production, the work centered grantee voices and real-world outcomes rather than promotional messaging, creating practical storytelling assets that supported reporting, learning, and long-term relationship building between the foundation and its grantees.

First Nations Development Institute

Food Storage Report

Graphic Design, Strategic Communications

I authored and designed a national report documenting how Native communities across the Northern Plains are revitalizing traditional food storage practices to build more resilient, culturally grounded food systems. Drawing from interviews with tribal grantees and research on Indigenous preservation methods, the report translated complex findings into a clear, visual, and funder-ready narrative that elevated community voices, highlighted infrastructure gaps, and pointed to culturally rooted solutions for long-term food sovereignty.

Muckleshoot Language Program

Cultural Storytelling

Video, Photography, Web Design

I produced multiple short films, social media content, and designed the full program website to support the revitalization and sharing of the Muckleshoot language through song, story, and place-based teaching. The work paired cinematic video with a clean, accessible digital platform so language, history, and cultural context could be experienced together rather than in isolation.

The Nature Conservancy

Unlearning Colonialism to Build the Future of Conservation 

Facilitation, Photography

As part of a multi-day learning and reflection process, I co-led land-based facilitation with The Nature Conservancy’s team focused on Conservation in Partnership with Indigenous Peoples and local communities. Through guided time on the land, talking circles, journaling, and dialogue with Pueblo knowledge holders, the convening created space to critically examine colonial conservation frameworks and re-center relationship, reciprocity, and Indigenous leadership in future strategy.