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-exʷ: 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
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.
NWIC hiring practices include adherence to the Indian Preference Act (Title 25, U.S. Code Section 473). NWIC supports and provides equal opportunity employment and educational opportunities without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex (including pregnancy), disability, age, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status or genetic information.
