The Lummi Nation ( ; Lummi: ' or ; officially the Lummi Tribe of the Lummi Reservation) is a federally recognized tribe of primarily Lummi people located in western Washington. The Lummi Nation also includes some Nooksack, Samish, and other local tribes, which were removed to the reservation in Whatcom County.
History
Precontact era
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 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.
left|thumb|Lummi territory and villages
19th-century: Treaty of Point Elliott
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 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. 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 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 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 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.
Gateway Pacific Terminal
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 the project because of potential adverse environmental impact on their treaty fishing rights and their sacred sites. It did not win approval.
Lummi Reservation
thumb|Lummi woman, c. 1907–1930, photograph by [[Edward S. Curtis]]
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 was enlarged to 13,600 acres in 1877. 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.
Employment
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 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.
Government and politics
The Lummi Tribe of the Lummi Reservation ratified a constitution and bylaws in 1970, which they amended in 2006. The tribe is governed by the Lummi Indian Business Council, an elected 11-member council, on which members serve three-year terms. The council selects executive officers for their duties, including chair, vice-chair, treasurer, and secretary, and establishes committees for administration of the tribe.
- Secretary: Cheryl Sanders
- Council Member: Maureen Kinley
- Council Member: G.I. James
- Council Member: Vendean (Jim) Washington
- Council Member: Karley Kinley
- Council Member: Cliff Cultee
- Council Member: Lisa Wilson
- Council Member: Dana Wilson
Culture
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.