RESEARCH STARTER

Lummi

The Lummi people are a Native American tribe located in Washington State, primarily in the San Juan Islands and the adjacent mainland of northern Puget Sound. They traditionally spoke a dialect of Coast Salish and had a rich culture centered around fishing, with a diet heavily reliant on various salmon species and other marine resources. Their economy also included hunting and gathering, with activities such as trapping animals and foraging for berries and roots like camas bulbs.

Historically, the Lummi built large longhouses from cedar, which was a vital resource for various purposes, including boat-making and clothing. The tribe engaged in trade and intermarriage with other Indigenous nations while facing challenges from warfare, disease, and encroachment from settlers in the 19th century. Despite past adversities, including the loss of land and population declines, the Lummi have shown resilience; their population has increased since the late 20th century.

Today, the Lummi Nation is experiencing a cultural renaissance, revitalizing traditional practices and investing in education through initiatives like the Northwest Indian College. They are also actively involved in environmental stewardship, particularly through aquaculture projects aimed at preserving marine life. The tribe's self-governance efforts reflect their commitment to reclaiming control over their cultural and community services.

Full Article

  • CATEGORY: Tribe
  • CULTURE AREA: Northwest Coast
  • LANGUAGE GROUP: Salishan
  • PRIMARY LOCATION: Washington State
  • POPULATION SIZE: 5,748 (2020 Decennial Census); 4,917 (American Community Survey 2023 5-year estimate)

In their homeland, the San Juan Islands and adjacent mainland in northern Puget Sound, the Lummi people traditionally spoke Xwlemi, a dialect of Coast Salish, which the Songish people of southern Vancouver Island also spoke. In their language, their traditional name, Lhaq'temish, means "People of the Sea," but they are sometimes called "Salmon People." Their economy was based on sockeye salmon, caught in nets from canoes, and herring, codfish, dog salmon, humpback salmon, and silver salmon caught with traps, weirs, hooks, dip nets, and spears. Ducks were also caught in underwater nets, and clams and crabs were gathered along the shorelines. In addition, the Lummi occasionally hunted and trapped beavers, otters, muskrats, and bears. Camas bulbs and other roots were dug and cooked in rock-lined pits to add variety to the diet. Plentiful berries also added to the variety of foods.

Cedar was used for many purposes, such as building the large extended family longhouses in which Lummi people lived in their permanent coastline villages. Cedar was also used to make huge dugout canoes, and the bark was used for clothing, baskets, and other uses. The Lummi traded and intermarried with Indigenous nations as far north as the Fraser River and as far south as the White River. Warfare occasionally disrupted peaceful relations, making palisades in front of their villages necessary. In 1827, a Hudson’s Bay Company post invaded the region, and by the 1850s, settlers were also intruding on the Lummi homeland. Disease, unscrupulous trading, and alcohol use disorder, as well as the cession of most of the Lummi territory to the United States government, took their toll on this proud nation. Nevertheless, the Lummi population was higher in 1980 than in the 1790s. The Lummi Reservation near Bellingham, Washington, was home to around 5,000 Lummi people in the mid-2020s. The Lummi have experienced a cultural renaissance by reviving many traditional cultural and spiritual celebrations and through language programs, art, and public ceremonies. They continued to tackle environmental issues, worked to prevent and treat substance use disorders among their members, and operated educational initiatives, such as the Northwest Indian College, a four-year, accredited institution. They have also embarked on a pioneering self-government project, taking control over several programs and services previously administered by the US Bureau of Indian Affairs. In the 1980s, the Indigenous government established an ambitious aquaculture project to preserve salmon, oysters, trout, and other marine species.


Bibliography

"About Northwest Indian College." Northwest Indian College, www.nwic.edu/about-nwic. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.

"About Us." Lummi Nation, www.lummi-nsn.gov/node/Website.php?PageID=388. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.

"Lummi Indian Reservation." Bureau of Land Management, 3 June 2022, www.blm.gov/blog/2022-06-03/lummi-indian-reservation. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.

"Lummi Nation." Visit Bellingham Whatcom County, www.bellingham.org/lummi-nation. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.

"Lummi Reservation CCD, Whatcom County, WA." Census Reporter, US Census Bureau, 2023, censusreporter.org/profiles/06000US5307391760-lummi-reservation-ccd-whatcom-county-wa. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.

"Meet the People." National Museum of the American Indian, americanindian.si.edu/environment/lummi/People.cshtml. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.

"Our Mission and Vision ." Lummi Island Heritage Trust, www.liht.org/our-mission-and-values. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.

Radil, Amy. "Lummi Chair Commends Federal Drug Bust Connected to Tribal Deaths." KUOW, 4 Oct. 2024, www.kuow.org/stories/lummi-chair-commends-federal-drug-bust-connected-to-tribal-deaths. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.

Weymouth, Andrew. "The Lummi Nation." Mary Hillaire and the Lummi Nation: Self Determination, 2019, collections.evergreen.edu/s/selfdetermination/page/The_Native_American_Studies_Program. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.

Full Article

  • CATEGORY: Tribe
  • CULTURE AREA: Northwest Coast
  • LANGUAGE GROUP: Salishan
  • PRIMARY LOCATION: Washington State
  • POPULATION SIZE: 5,748 (2020 Decennial Census); 4,917 (American Community Survey 2023 5-year estimate)

In their homeland, the San Juan Islands and adjacent mainland in northern Puget Sound, the Lummi people traditionally spoke Xwlemi, a dialect of Coast Salish, which the Songish people of southern Vancouver Island also spoke. In their language, their traditional name, Lhaq'temish, means "People of the Sea," but they are sometimes called "Salmon People." Their economy was based on sockeye salmon, caught in nets from canoes, and herring, codfish, dog salmon, humpback salmon, and silver salmon caught with traps, weirs, hooks, dip nets, and spears. Ducks were also caught in underwater nets, and clams and crabs were gathered along the shorelines. In addition, the Lummi occasionally hunted and trapped beavers, otters, muskrats, and bears. Camas bulbs and other roots were dug and cooked in rock-lined pits to add variety to the diet. Plentiful berries also added to the variety of foods.

Cedar was used for many purposes, such as building the large extended family longhouses in which Lummi people lived in their permanent coastline villages. Cedar was also used to make huge dugout canoes, and the bark was used for clothing, baskets, and other uses. The Lummi traded and intermarried with Indigenous nations as far north as the Fraser River and as far south as the White River. Warfare occasionally disrupted peaceful relations, making palisades in front of their villages necessary. In 1827, a Hudson’s Bay Company post invaded the region, and by the 1850s, settlers were also intruding on the Lummi homeland. Disease, unscrupulous trading, and alcohol use disorder, as well as the cession of most of the Lummi territory to the United States government, took their toll on this proud nation. Nevertheless, the Lummi population was higher in 1980 than in the 1790s. The Lummi Reservation near Bellingham, Washington, was home to around 5,000 Lummi people in the mid-2020s. The Lummi have experienced a cultural renaissance by reviving many traditional cultural and spiritual celebrations and through language programs, art, and public ceremonies. They continued to tackle environmental issues, worked to prevent and treat substance use disorders among their members, and operated educational initiatives, such as the Northwest Indian College, a four-year, accredited institution. They have also embarked on a pioneering self-government project, taking control over several programs and services previously administered by the US Bureau of Indian Affairs. In the 1980s, the Indigenous government established an ambitious aquaculture project to preserve salmon, oysters, trout, and other marine species.


Bibliography

"About Northwest Indian College." Northwest Indian College, www.nwic.edu/about-nwic. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.

"About Us." Lummi Nation, www.lummi-nsn.gov/node/Website.php?PageID=388. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.

"Lummi Indian Reservation." Bureau of Land Management, 3 June 2022, www.blm.gov/blog/2022-06-03/lummi-indian-reservation. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.

"Lummi Nation." Visit Bellingham Whatcom County, www.bellingham.org/lummi-nation. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.

"Lummi Reservation CCD, Whatcom County, WA." Census Reporter, US Census Bureau, 2023, censusreporter.org/profiles/06000US5307391760-lummi-reservation-ccd-whatcom-county-wa. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.

"Meet the People." National Museum of the American Indian, americanindian.si.edu/environment/lummi/People.cshtml. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.

"Our Mission and Vision ." Lummi Island Heritage Trust, www.liht.org/our-mission-and-values. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.

Radil, Amy. "Lummi Chair Commends Federal Drug Bust Connected to Tribal Deaths." KUOW, 4 Oct. 2024, www.kuow.org/stories/lummi-chair-commends-federal-drug-bust-connected-to-tribal-deaths. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.

Weymouth, Andrew. "The Lummi Nation." Mary Hillaire and the Lummi Nation: Self Determination, 2019, collections.evergreen.edu/s/selfdetermination/page/The_Native_American_Studies_Program. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.

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