Honoring Culture, Healing Communities: How Scholarships Empower Native Students 

Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs), such as Northwest Indian College (NWIC), were established to provide Native students with an education that reflects their cultural values, supports community connections, and prepares them for careers in today’s world. Unlike most mainstream institutions, TCUs are rooted in Native knowledge systems—integrating Indigenous ways of learning with Western academic structures.  

At NWIC, this approach is making a difference in the lives of students like Catherine Goble, a descendant of the Colville Confederated Tribes. Growing up on the reservation, Catherine rarely encountered traditional teachings. “A lot of traditions weren’t taught growing up—it was almost taboo to talk about the past,” she says. Now, as a student in NWIC’s Associate of Technical Arts in Chemical Dependency Studies program, she’s reclaiming those teachings and using them to shape her future. 

Catherine’s goal is to become a chemical dependency counselor. “My long-term goal is to help my community—especially those struggling with addiction—find support that understands and appreciates our culture and beliefs,” she shares. 

NWIC’s Chemical Dependency Studies program offers a unique blend of professional training and Native American Studies. It’s designed to prepare students for careers in counseling while grounding their education in Indigenous values and perspectives. 

Supporting students like Catherine are scholarships offered through the Northwest Indian College Foundation. These awards help remove financial barriers and are grounded in the lengesot value—which is the xwlemi chosen word meaning “to take care of ourselves, watch out for one another, and love and support each other.” Catherine is a living example of lengesot in action—drawing from her culture and beliefs to build a future of healing and hope for her community. 

With the support of our generous donors, Northwest Indian College Foundation is able to provide vital financial support to students—helping ensure the spirit of lengesot lives on in every step of their journey. 

 Hy’shqe (thank you) to our donors and supporters!