A group of Native American women in Jingle Dresses with hands raised

Tribal Relations

Project and Event Highlights

Coast Salish Style Longhouse

The House of Healing rendering showing the front of the building clad in brown siding with an archway made of logs at the front door

Ongoing Project

In partnership and close collaboration with Coast Salish tribal nations and the Western Native American Student Union, Western Washington University seeks to build a traditional Coast Salish style longhouse in honor of the historic importance of place that it occupies and in acknowledgement of the University’s responsibility to promote educational opportunities for Native students.

2023 Spring Powwow

Striking Native American graphic artwork of four eagles in alternating red and black forming intricate circular design on a white background.

Past Event

Hosted by the Lhaq'temish and the WWU Native American Student Union, the Coastal Jam and Powwow was held on Western's Campus on May 5-6, 2023. Find more information at this link, and check back for more information on next year's event!

Hidden Silence

Past Event

In this roundtable held on April 6, 2023, speakers Bev Sellars (Xat’sull First Nation), Hollie Mackey (Northern Cheyenne), and Anna Lees (Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa) addressed the long-term impacts of residential and boarding schools for Native people in the U.S. and Canada.