Just outside of Bellingham lies the only accredited tribal college in the entire region. The Northwest Indian College, operated by the Lummi Nation, prepares students from many different backgrounds to steward the culture, traditions, and economy of tribal peoples from all over the region.
Founded in 1973 as a school of aquaculture, the Northwest Indian College now offers a much wider range of options—three bachelors and nine associates degree programs—each designed to meet a need unique to tribal peoples. The aquaculture roots remain strong, training the next generation of clam and geoduck farmers, ensuring Whatcom county’s shellfish industry will remain strong for years to come.
Lately NWIC has been turning heads nationally among STEM educators (Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) their performance in rocket competitions. At the First Nations Launch (FNL) National Rocket Competition held in Wisconsin last month, they topped a field that included UCLA.