About Northwest Indian College
Our History
With its main campus located on the Lummi Indian Reservation in Washington State, 20 miles south of the Canadian border, Northwest Indian College is the only accredited tribal college serving the states of Washington, Oregon, and Idaho.
NWIC grew from the Lummi Indian School of Aquaculture, founded in 1973, a single-purpose training program developed to prepare technicians for employment in Indian-owned and operated fish and shellfish hatcheries throughout the United States and Canada.
In 1983, the Lummi Indian Business Council recognized the need for a more comprehensive post-secondary institution for tribal members, and the college was chartered as Lummi Community College, an Indian-controlled, comprehensive two-year college, designed to serve the post-secondary educational needs of Indian people living in the Pacific Northwest. In June of 1988, Lummi Community College was approved as a candidate for accreditation by the Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges (NWASC) and, on January 20, 1989, in acknowledgement of its wider mandate to serve Native people through the Northwest, Lummi Community College changed its name to the Northwest Indian College.
Northwest Indian College was granted accreditation at the associate level by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU), effective September 1993. In 2010, NWIC became accredited at the baccalaureate level and now offers four bachelor’s degrees. The College’s educational programs have been approved by the US Department of Education, Veteran’s Administration, and the Washington State Higher Education Coordinating Board for the administration of financial assistance for eligible student. Northwest Indian College is a member of the American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC), the American Association of Community Colleges, and the American Council on Education.
Biennial Report 2020-2022
NWIC Key Facts
| NWIC Key Facts | |
|---|---|
| History | |
| Founded | 1973 |
| Seven Campuses | |
| Main Campus | Lummi Nation Bellingham, WA |
| Admissions Overall | |
| Annualized Headcount | 975 |
| Native American | 91.7% |
| Gender | 74.1% Female |
| Tribes Represented | 115+ |
| Average Age | 32 |
| Average Graduate GPA | 3.31 |
| Student Clubs | 11 |
| *data from 2020-2021 AY |
Academics
Admissions
Our Mission, Vision and Core Values
NWIC is guided by its mission, vision, and core values.
NWIC Mission Statement:
- Through education, Northwest Indian College promotes Indigenous self-determination and knowledge.
NWIC Vision Statement:
- We are committed to our students, the Tribes we serve, and advancing Tribal sovereignty for the protection and enhancement of our homelands and future generations.
NWIC Core Values:
- Sәla-lexʷ: Our strength comes from the old people. From them we receive our teachings and knowledge and the advice we need for our daily lives.
- Schtәngәxʷәn: We are responsible to protect our territory. This means we take care of our land and water and everything that is on it and in it.
- Xwlәmi-chosәn: Our culture is our language. We should strengthen and maintain our language.
- Leng-e-sot: We take care of ourselves, watch out for ourselves and love and take care of one another.
- Xaalh: Life balance/sacred
Meet our Interim President
Dr. Lexie Tom, PhD, was appointed as the Interim President of NWIC in October 2024. The Board of Trustees has confidence in the leadership that Dr. Tom can provide as Interim President. The Trustees will continue to design and carry out a process to search for the next college president.
Dr. Tom is a Lummi Nation Tribal Member and NWIC Alumna. Prior to this appointment, Dr. Tom served as Acting Director of the Lummi Nation Educational System, which includes Lummi Nation K-12 School, the Early Learning Programs, Head Start program, Johnson O’Malley education program and partnerships with all public schools that enroll Lummi children. In that position she oversaw: Tribal, Federal, state regulations and standards; financial management including managing and allocating funds; maintaining academic standards and curricula; providing leadership to school teams towards academic achievement; and personnel management; while also supporting language and culture in the schools and working with the school board as partners in education.
Dr. Tom holds a doctoral degree in Indigenous Studies from the University of Alaska Fairbanks for her dissertation, “An Indigenous Teacher Preparation Framework.” She has a Master’s in Public Administration from Evergreen State College, a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology from Western Washington University and is a proud graduate of Northwest Indian College.
Dr. Tom worked for Lummi Nation as the Chairman’s Policy Analyst and later as a member of the Lummi Indian Business Council where Lexie focused on education, Tribal sovereignty, and preservation of language and culture.
At NWIC, Dr. Tom was part of a team of Native faculty who collaborated, researched, and wrote the first Bachelor of Arts in Native Studies Leadership with the support of the late William E. Jones. While serving as Department Chair, Dr. Tom, Greg Mahle, Brandon Morris, and Don McCluskey authored the Lummi Nation School K-12 Language Standards with assessment tools that recognize Tribal values.
In Dr. Tom’s own words: “I grew up at Northwest Indian College. I always heard our elders tell the story how our Tribal leaders as an act of sovereignty voted to create a charter that established what is now Northwest Indian College. I will always remember and recognize the sacrifices our founders and elders made. It’s with their support that education will continue to thrive in our Tribal communities. It’s an honor to continue their vision of Indigenous education towards mission fulfillment in contemporary times. I will continue to listen and learn as we move forward together.”
Dr. Lexie Tom, PhD • Interim President, NWIC
Contact Dr. Tom at president@nwic.edu or (360) 392-4328
About NWIC
With its main campus located on the Lummi Indian Reservation in Washington State, 20 miles south of the Canadian border, Northwest Indian College is the only accredited tribal college serving the states of Washington, Oregon, and Idaho.
NWIC Community
Northwest Indian College provides a sanctuary of learning that in many ways reflect the values of the communities in which they are in.
NWIC Admissions
Northwest Indian College’s primary focus is on recruiting Native American and First Nations (Canadian) students but follows an “open door” admissions policy.
NWIC Extended Campus Locations
Northwest Indian College‘s main campus is located at the Lummi Nation. The College also has six full service extended campus sites located at Muckleshoot, Nez Perce, Nisqually, Port Gamble S’Klallam, Swinomish, and Tulalip. Please use the location links to view details for each extended campus site.
Financial Aid
Northwest Indian College administers a broad range of financial aid, scholarships, and work-study programs for students who can demonstrate financial need.
Student Life
NWIC students are encouraged to engage and integrate into the life of the institution. Students are offered opportunities to participate in enrichment activities through Student Affairs, student government, and residence life.