This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).
The project will replace an existing modular building, currently used to house Northwest Indian College?s (NWIC) science laboratories, with a new research building. The replacement will house the campus? laboratories for research in environmental science. NWIC serves many Indian Tribes throughout a large geographic region encompassing parts of Washington and Idaho, including tribes in the extended Coast Salish group. The main campus is at Lummi Nation near Bellingham, Washington. The laboratory facility will support faculty and student research in environmental research on topics such as: hypoxia and water quality in Bellingham Bay, phytoplankton community dynamics, wetland and shoreline ecology, salmon habitat restoration, and the impacts of potential sea level rise. In addition to providing infrastructure for research, the research facility will increase the number of undergraduate students exposed to and involved in research. The student body is primarily Native American and the project will help increase the engagement of members of this under-represented group in environmental science.
grant to replace our aging and degraded research laboratories with a 4,200 sqft Salish Sea Research Center. Prior to constructing the Salish Sea Research Center (SSRC) the laboratory space at NWIC consisted of a number of temporary trailers that NWIC received from government surplus in the 1980’s. These trailers did not have a permanent foundation and in many cases suffered from severe rot. The major goals of this project were to (1) replace the aging and dilapidated temporary laboratories (2) design the structure with significant input from NWIC faculty and Lummi Natural Resources, (3) construct the building using sustainability concepts. Founding in 1973, Northwest Indian College is the only accredited tribal college in Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. NWIC serves as the gateway to higher education for 270,000 American Indians / Alaskan Natives. NWIC is unique. Rather than serving one tribe or a closely related group of tribes, as is the case with most tribal colleges, NWIC serves many tribes throughout a large geographic region. The main campus is located at Lummi Nation near Bellingham, Washington with extended campuses located at five reservations in Washington (Swinomish, Muckleshoot, Port Gamble S’Klallam, Nisqually, and Tulalip) and one in Idaho (Nez Perce). NWIC offers three distinctly unique baccalaureate programs, a Bachelor of Science in Native Environmental Science (BSNES), a Bachelor of Arts Degrees in Native Studies Leadership and a Bachelor of Arts Degrees in Tribal Governance and Business Management. The college also offers numerous Associate’s degrees; an Associate of Science Transfer degree, five Associate of Arts and Sciences transfer degrees, one Associate of Applied Science transfer degree, three Associate of Technical Arts degrees, plus ten Certificates, and four Awards of Completion. The Salish Sea Research Center The Salish Sea Research Center was developed to increase the presence and influence of American Indian leadership in the arena of conservation and natural resource management. Resource management requires solutions that effectively balance the conservation of resources and sustainable economic development, especially in today's world. More American Indians are need the education and training necessary to carry out these responsibilities. Specifically, SSRC is charged with increasing the number of American Indians in natural resource professions that serve their communities. Mission of SSRC The mission of SSRC is to prepare the next generation of environmental scientists and leaders through fostering respect for indigenous knowledge of nature, providing opportunities for students to gain a solid background in scientific methods, and fostering critical thinking skills and self motivation. One focal point of SSRC research is using traditional knowledge and ancient material to define a pre-European ecological baseline for the Salish Sea, including the distribution, abundance, and productivity of marine species. This holistic picture of the Salish Sea prior to European impacts will be used to evaluate current ecosystems, determine climate impacts and guide restoration. Starting with a mechanistic approach, traditional management strategies will be applied to modern conservation issues, to promote sustainability and resilience. Vision SSRC envisions a sustainable program that engages indigenous knowledge and scientific learning. SSRC research will involve students in active learning to support students pursuing a Bachelor’s of Science in Native Environmental Science (BSNES).
