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40-538: The Lummi Nation ( / ˈ l ʌ m i / LUH -mee ; Lummi : Xwlemi [xʷləˈmi] or Lhaq'temish ; officially known as the Lummi Tribe of the Lummi Reservation ) is a federally-recognized tribe of primarily Lummi people . The Lummi Nation also includes some Nooksack , Samish , and other local tribes which were removed to the reservation. It is based in the coastal area of

80-491: A GED; 33.8% have either a high school or GED degree; 27.1% have some college experience; 14.9% have a two-year (AA or AS) degree; 7.5% have a bachelor's degree; and 1.6% have a graduate or professional degree. The tribe operates several schools and education programmes. They have Head Start and daycare centers for children. While most education for Lummi children is provided by the Ferndale School District ,

120-696: A former president of the Whatcom County Labor Council , stated, "We've lost 3,500 to 4,000 jobs in the last several years in this area ... you can't say you're for jobs if you are against the industries that provide them." On June 3, 2011 in the aftermath of the June 1 meeting, Mayor Pike announced his opposition to the Gateway Pacific Terminal project, stating "At this point, I don't think this community wants to see any coal, and I'm kind of with them on that," and critiqued

160-569: A group of Native and non-Native fishermen gathered a fleet of boats in the waters around Xwe’chi’eXen to stand with the Lummi Nation in opposition. This action was supported by the leadership of the Lummi Nation, with Lummi Nation Chairman Cliff Cultee stating "We have to say ‘no’ to the coal terminal project ... it is our Xw’ xalh Xechnging (sacred duty) to preserve and protect all of Xwe’chi’eXen." Again, in October 2012, tribal leaders burned

200-526: A letter to the Army Corps of Engineers requesting an expedited decision on the status of the Gateway Pacific Terminal, stating "We remain committed to assisting the Corps in evaluating our request for a permit denial. However, we are not interested in engaging in a lengthy dialogue with the project proponent and do not anticipate the necessity of responding further." Additionally, the Lummi Nation announced on

240-486: A mock million dollar to signify that they could not be bought out. A December 2014 study by the Washington State Department of Ecology stated that the construction of the Gateway Pacific Terminal would cause an increase in potential oil spills, leading to environmental damage and disruption of traditional fishing grounds. The median amount of oil spills in the nearby Puget Sound is projected by

280-626: Is 25%. The Lummi unemployment rate of about 75% is estimated to be three times the local average. The median monthly income for employed Lummi tribal members is approximately $ 1,200. The constitution of the Lummi Nation was adopted in 1970. The tribe is governed by the Lummi Indian Business Council, an elected eleven-member council , on which members serve a three-year term. The council selects executive officers for their duties, including chair, vice-chair, treasurer, and secretary, and establishes committees for administration of

320-643: The Indigenous languages of the Americas is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This Washington -related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Gateway Pacific Terminal The Gateway Pacific Terminal was a proposed export terminal at Cherry Point ( Lummi : Xwe’chi’eXen ) in Whatcom County , Washington , along the Salish Sea shoreline. It

360-707: The Pacific Northwest region of Washington state in the United States , and is located within the Bellingham Metropolitan Area The Lummi originally inhabited many settlements on the San Juan Islands . However, due to high amounts of raiding from northern peoples and disease, they migrated to the mainland, settling around the lower Nooksack River . They displaced or assimilated the people living there at

400-627: The Pacific Northwest . In September 2012, the Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians , a congress of more than 50 tribes in seven states, passed a resolution demanding a broad environmental impact statement for all terminal projects regionally. Another regional protest against coal development in the Pacific Northwest by Native American groups was the Totem Pole Journey, the journey of a 22-foot totem pole through

440-527: The Silver Reef Casino Resort , opened in 2002, close to Interstate 5 . It was the target of an $ 11-million expansion in 2003, which built a steakhouse, terrace, cocktail bar, and a 400 seat pavilion for events. A recent collaborative study conducted by the Lummi Nation and Northern Economics Inc. found the following about the Lummi Nation workforce. 28% of the adult population (ages 18–64) is employed. The labor workforce participation rate

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480-554: The $ 500 million project. On the federal level, the Army Corps of Engineers is in charge of the environmental review process, and ultimately, the fate of the project. The proposed terminal would have primarily exported coal , and if constructed would be the largest coal export terminal in North America. The Gateway Pacific Terminal would include a 2,980-foot dock and allow up to 487 ships per year to berth. The scale of

520-529: The 1980s, they operated the largest salmon fleet on Puget Sound, with approximately 600 gillnet boats and 40 seiners . Throughout the 1990s, salmon runs were highly diminished, and in 2001, the fishing season was a "complete failure." Later that year, the Lummi Business Council declared the Lummi Nation an "Economic Fisheries Disaster Area" and created programs to try to retrain idle fishermen. By 2003, their fishing industry had collapsed, and

560-539: The Council and Chair Tim Ballew II, states "The proposed project will directly result in the substantial impairment of the treaty rights of the Lummi Nation throughout the Nations’ "usual and accustomed" fishing areas... The Lummi have harvested at this location since time immemorial and plan to continue into the future. The proposed project will impact this significant treaty harvesting location and will significantly limit

600-533: The Ferndale and Bellingham Areas, and they have been operating a home-improvement program since 1969. The Lummi Nation operates a healthcare facility in Bellingham where they offer both medical and dental care, as well as substance abuse counseling. The Lummi Nation has been working to increase the education levels among their youth. Among enrolled Lummis aged 25–64: 15.1% do not have a high school diploma or

640-670: The Lummi Nation also operates the Lummi Nation School (LNS), a K-12 school that opened in 2004. Four years later, they added the Lummi Youth Academy, a boarding school available for grades 9 through 12. The Academy is focused on strengthening Lummi culture, and offers social programs to at-risk teenagers. The tribe founded the Lummi Indian School of Aquaculture in 1973 as a means of training tribal members in fishing and shellfish hatcheries. Later,

680-578: The Lummi Nation either on or near the reservation boundaries, enrolled Lummi tribal members have an average household size of approximately 4.5 people. The Lummi Nation owns a large oyster farm , which is the third largest on the west coast of the United States. They also have large aquaculture facilities on their reservation. In 1970, the Lummi Business Council created the Aquacultural Project to harvest food from their waters. By

720-482: The Lummi Nation hosted its first potlatch since the 1930s as part of the Tribal Canoe Journeys Paddle to Lummi. During the event, 68 families paddled hand-made canoes to the Lummi Reservation from parts of Washington and British Columbia. In 2017, the Lummi Nation declared a state of emergency in the aftermath of the 2017 Cypress Island Atlantic salmon pen break . They recaptured most of

760-439: The Lummi Nation's existing holdings of over 24 acres. Madrona Point is a sacred area held in trust by the United States . It, along with the recent acquisition, is part of the ancestral village of Ts’elxwisen’, which historically covered what is now Eastsound. The Gateway Pacific Terminal was a proposed coal export terminal at Xwe’chi’eXen ( Cherry Point ) in Whatcom County , along the Salish Sea shoreline. The Lummi opposed

800-749: The Lummi fleet was reduced to between 150-200 gillnet boats and 3 or 4 seiners. They were among the first tribes to open an Indian casino in Washington after the U.S. Congress passed the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988. The tribe opened the Lummi Casino in 1992 and was the second largest employer in Whatcom County, with 450 employees. However, it closed in 1997 after traffic from Canada had declined. A new casino,

840-525: The Territory." Further, they argue the presence of the terminal could "irrevocably damage religious and sacred sites, such as Cherry Point, if the coal should spill." Previous requests for permits in the area, including for a proposed salmon fishery, have been rejected on similar grounds. On June 1, 2011, more than 300 persons turned out for a hearing regarding the Gateway Pacific Terminal hosted by Mayor Dan Pike of nearby Bellingham, Washington . Many of

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880-461: The ability of tribal members to exercise their treaty rights... The devastating environmental impacts associated with this project, as well as the trust responsibility of federal agencies to ensure the protection of the treaty rights of the Lummi Nation, mandate the denial of any and all permits under the Corp’s jurisdiction." On August 27, 2015, the Lummi Indian Business Council and the Lummi Nation sent

920-453: The case United States v. Alaska Packers' Association disallowed the Lummi on the reservation from removing non-Native fishermen in their fisheries. Following this, much of the recent history of the Lummi Nation has been marked by a struggle to regain their fishing rights. Following steady increases in the number of individuals and firms fishing in areas traditionally fished by the Lummi, the nation fought for and gained limited protection under

960-655: The concerns over employment opportunities, stating "We cannot turn our backs on people who are struggling in this community, but that doesn't mean we take jobs at any cost." In May, 2012, the Seattle City Council unanimously passed a resolution in opposition to the development of coal export ports in the region. This followed the passage of resolutions in opposition by smaller municipalities regionally, including Hood River, Oregon , and Camas , Washougal , and Marysville , in Washington . In October 2012,

1000-614: The law for the right to fish in their traditional manner. The Lummi Nation was part of the broader fight for fishing and treaty rights, which came to a head in 1974 with United States v. Washington (commonly known as the Boldt Decision). In 1970, the Lummi Nation adopted a new constitution which gave the Business Council broader powers. Since the late 20th century, the Lummi Nation has worked to revive elements of its traditional culture. From July 30 to August 4, 2007,

1040-478: The project because of potential adverse environmental impact on their treaty fishing rights and their sacred sites. It did not win approval. The Lummi Reservation is the Indian reservation of the Lummi Nation. Established in 1855, it was intended to serve as the reservation for the Lummi, Nooksack, and Samish peoples, as well as several other local peoples. Originally, the reservation was 12,562.94 acres, however it

1080-463: The project resulted in protests by the Lummi Nation and other concerned parties in opposition to the construction of the terminal. The Lummi Nation argues that the construction of the Gateway Pacific Terminal violates their treaty rights under the 1855 Treaty of Point Elliot , which under Article 5 grants signatory nations "The right of taking fish at usual and accustomed grounds and stations is further secured to said Indians in common with all citizens of

1120-592: The recovered non-native, farmed Atlantic salmon . The Lummi and other parties interested in the fisheries of the Northwest were very worried about Atlantic salmon interfering with those of the Pacific waters and rivers. In 2024, a nonprofit led by a Lummi Nation elder acquired over 2 acres of land just north of Madrona Point on Orcas Island . The organization intends to restore the land to the Lummi Nation. The newly acquired land, situated next to Madrona Point, adds to

1160-604: The region from Vancouver, British Columbia to Lame Deer, Montana . On August 21, 2015, the pole made a stop in Bellingham, Washington, for a blessing by the Lummi Nation at the Tribal Administration Center. On May 9, 2016, the Army Corps of Engineers denied a permit to the project, citing the Lummi Nation's treaty-protected fishing rights. In July 2021, Whatcom County passed a zoning ordinance to prohibit new refineries, fossil fuel shipment facilities, coal plants, piers, and wharfs, in an attempt to put

1200-428: The reservation. Approximately 697 of these have an enrolled Lummi living in the home; thus, roughly 1,167 homes on the reservation do not house a tribal member. As of April 2010 there are 4,483 enrolled tribal members. 49.6% are female and 50.4% are male. The median age of tribal members is 29. Nearly one-third of the members, some 31.8%, are 18 years or younger. 11.6% are 55 or older. According to studies conducted by

1240-429: The same date that they were hiring Dentons , the world's largest law firm, to represent them in future lawsuits, indicating the Lummi are preparing for a fight in the courts over the Gateway Pacific Terminal. These protests by the Lummi and others regarding the Gateway Pacific Terminal connect to regional struggles against fossil coal extraction and export by environmental groups and Native American organizations in

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1280-512: The school was refounded into Northwest Indian College , the only accredited tribal college in Washington, Oregon , and Idaho . Lummi dialect Lummi language is still spoken on the Lummi reservation and is taught at Ferndale High School , Lummi Nation School, Vista Middle School , Horizon Middle School , Skyline and Eagleridge Elementary Schools, and the Northwest Indian College . This article related to

1320-471: The speakers opposed the terminal, citing varied concerns, including "health effects from coal dust and ship and locomotive emissions, climate change from the burning of exported coal in China, and reduced property values from railroad dirt and noise." Supporters of the project also spoke, with primarily members of local labor unions speaking in support because of potential employment opportunities. David Warren,

1360-421: The study to increase 26 percent, or an increase from approximately 10 to approximately 13 individual spills a year by 2019. The quantity of oil spilled in the area would increase 28 percent, from 656 gallons to 857 gallons. On January 5, 2015, the Lummi Indian Business Council and the Lummi Nation sent a formal letter to the Army Corps of Engineer requesting a denial of the permit. The letter, signed by members of

1400-527: The time, signed the treaty for the Lummi "and other tribes." 13 additional people signed the treaty for the Lummi. The treaty demanded that the Lummi cede the title to their lands, and in return, the 12,562.94 acre Lummi Reservation was established near the mouth of the Nooksack River, on the Lummi Peninsula . On November 22, 1873, the Lummi Reservation was enlarged to 13,600 ares. In 1897,

1440-516: The time, the Skalakhan and Hulwhaluq. The villages that they occupied on the mainland were fortified with large stockades , which they used to defend themselves from the northern raiders. In 1855, the predecessor tribes of the Lummi Nation (including the Lummi people) were signatory to the Treaty of Point Elliott , which was signed at modern-day Muckilteo . Chowitsoot , one of the Lummi leaders at

1480-651: The tribe. The current Business Council is as follows: For the past century, the Lummi Nation has been attempting to preserve and revitalize their traditional culture. The first Lummi potlatch since 1937 was hosted in 2007. For the Lummi nation, canoes are a large part of their culture. Each year in June, the Lummi Nation hosts the Lummi Stommish Water Carnival, which features large canoe race , as well as having dancing and traditional gambling games. Tribes from Washington and British Columbia compete in war canoes measuring up to fifty feet. The event

1520-538: Was announced in 2011 and would have exported coal, but was opposed by local residents and the Lummi Nation , who had an ancestral village site at Cherry Point. The terminal project was rejected by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 2016, ruling that it would infringe on the fishing rights of the Lummi Nation. On February 28, 2011, the environmental review process for the Gateway Pacific Terminal commenced when SSA Marine applied for state and federal permits to build

1560-561: Was enlarged to 13,600 acres in 1877. An estimated 6,590 people live on the Lummi Reservation. Roughly 2,564 are enrolled Lummi citizens, and 665 are either related to or live with an enrolled tribal member. Some 3,361 are neither tribal members nor affiliated with any member of the Lummi Nation. The 2000 United States Census recorded 4,193 persons residing on the reservation, of whom 1,828 (43.6 percent) identified as White, and 2,114 (50.4 percent) identified as being of only Native American ancestry. There are approximately 1,864 homes located on

1600-650: Was established by Lummi veterans of World War I , who wished to honor tribal citizens in World War II . Today, the carnival is put on in honor of Lummi veterans of all wars. The Lummi language ( Xwlemi Chosen, IPA: [xʷləmi tʃɔsən] ) is a dialect of the North Straits Salish language , part of the larger Salishan language family. The Lummi Nation operates the Portage Bay Construction company, which builds homes in

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