Northwest Indian College

Northwest Indian College (Xwlemi Elh>Tal>Nexw Squl[2]) is a public college in Bellingham, Washington. It was established by the Lummi Nation and is the only accredited tribal college or university serving reservation communities of Washington, Oregon, and Idaho.[3][4]

Northwest Indian College
Former names
Lummi Indian School of Aquaculture, Lummi Community College
TypeTribal college
Established1973 (1973)
PresidentJustin Guillory, PhD
Academic staff
100 (33 full-time, 67 part-time)[1]
Students2,320
Undergraduates2,320 (AY 16)[1]
Location
Bellingham
,
Washington
,
United States

48°47′39″N 122°36′51″W
Campusurban/suburban Lummi Nation (main campus) reserve, Swinomish, Tulalip, Port Gamble S'Klallam, Muckleshoot, Nisqually, and Nez Perce.
AthleticsBasketball, volleyball
AffiliationsAIHEC
Websitewww.nwic.edu

History

The NWIC began in 1973 as the Lummi Indian School of Aquaculture, which was established to provide local technicians for employment in Indian-owned and operated fish and shellfish hatcheries in the United States and Canada. In 1983, the Lummi Nation chartered the Lummi Community College to fulfill the need for a more comprehensive post-secondary education for tribal members.[5] The Lummi Community College campaigned for accreditation by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities in 1988.[4] The commission affirmed accreditation in 1993, and Lummi Community College became Northwest Indian College.[5] Years of expansion and dedication resulted in the college gaining accreditation as a four-year, baccalaureate degree-granting institution effective September 2008 by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities.[6][4]

Campus
Buildings on the NWIC Lummi campus

Northwest Indian College is an accredited four-year college located on the Lummi Indian Reservation in Washington state, near the city of Bellingham. In addition the NWIC's main campus in Lummi, the college has six sites located in Swinomish, Tulalip, Port Gamble S'Klallam, Muckleshoot, Nisqually, and Nez Perce.[7] The college is an open enrollment school, meaning no SAT or ACT scores are needed to apply.[8]

Administration

NWIC's president since 2012 is Justin Guillory, a descendant of the Nez Perce Tribe from the Nez Perce Indian Reservation in Lapwai, Idaho.[5]

Partnerships

NWIC is a member of the American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC), which is a community of tribe- and federal-chartered institutions working to strengthen tribal nations and make a lasting difference in the lives of American Indians and Alaska Natives. NWIC was created in response to the higher education needs of American Indians. NWIC generally serves geographically isolated populations that have no other means accessing education beyond the high school level.[3]

Beliefs

The college maintains four core Lummi beliefs:[9]

Selalexw
Our strength comes from the old people. From them we receive our teachings and knowledge and the advice we need for our daily lives.
Schtengexwen
We are responsible to protect our territory. This means we take care of our land and the water and everything that is on it and in it.
Xwlemichosen
Our culture is our language. We should strengthen and maintain our language.
Lengesot
We take care of ourselves, watch out for ourselves, and love and take care of each other.

Scholarships

Scholarships are available through the American Indian College Fund (AICF) and the NWIC Foundation.[10]

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gollark: A Raspberry Pi can run Alpine very fast. Phones generally outperform it.
gollark: Maybe it's web-based.
gollark: Why not just be sensible and entirely black it out then?
gollark: The one *I* recall looking at just let you pick the font and effectively brute forced each part.

References
  1. "College Navigator - Northwest Indian College". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved 2016-09-22.
  2. 2017-2019 College Catalog
  3. American Indian Higher Education Consortium Archived 2012-06-14 at the Wayback Machine
  4. "Commission Grants NWIC Four-year Accreditation". Tribal College Journal. 22 (2). Winter 2010.
  5. "Our Story". Northwest Indian College. Archived from the original on 14 April 2017. Retrieved 12 November 2015.
  6. "Northwest Indian College announces successful accreditation as four-year degree granting institution". Northwest Indian College. Archived from the original on 14 April 2012. Retrieved 27 October 2011.
  7. "Northwest Indian College Sites". Northwest Indian College. Retrieved 28 July 2011.
  8. "Northwest Indian College (NWIC)". Campus Explorer. Retrieved 14 April 2017.
  9. "Strategic Plan". Northwest Indian College. Retrieved 28 July 2011.
  10. "Financial Resources". Northwest Indian College. Retrieved 28 July 2011.
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