Northwest Indian College
Lummi tribal college in Bellingham, Washington, US
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Key Takeaways
- Northwest Indian College (Xwlemi Elh>Tal>Nexw Squl) is a public tribal land-grant community college in Bellingham, Washington, United States.
- History NWIC was created in response to the higher education needs of American Indians, particularly geographically isolated populations that have no other means accessing education beyond the high school level.
- In 1983, the Lummi Nation chartered the Lummi Community College to fulfill the need for a more comprehensive post-secondary education for tribal members.
- The commission affirmed accreditation in 1993, and Lummi Community College became Northwest Indian College.
- Years of program expansion and dedication resulted in the college gaining accreditation by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities as a four-year, baccalaureate degree-granting institution, effective September 2008.
Northwest Indian College (Xwlemi Elh>Tal>Nexw Squl) is a public tribal land-grant community college in Bellingham, Washington, United States. It was established by the Lummi Nation and is the only accredited tribal college or university serving reservation communities of Washington, Oregon, and Idaho.
History
NWIC was created in response to the higher education needs of American Indians, particularly geographically isolated populations that have no other means accessing education beyond the high school level.
The institution 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.
The Lummi Community College campaigned for accreditation by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities in 1988. The commission affirmed accreditation in 1993, and Lummi Community College became Northwest Indian College. One year later, the college was designated a land-grant college alongside 31 other tribal colleges.
Years of program expansion and dedication resulted in the college gaining accreditation by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities as a four-year, baccalaureate degree-granting institution, effective September 2008.
In May 2025, NWIC announced the Board of Trustees appointed Dr. Lexie Tom as the first-ever Lummi Nation Tribal Member and NWIC alumna to serve as President. Tom previously served as Interim President and the Education Director of Lummi Nation School prior to that.
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