The Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission (NWIFC) is a natural resources management support service organization for 20 treaty Indian tribes in western Washington. Headquartered in Olympia, the NWIFC employs approximately 65 people with satellite offices in Burlington and Forks.

NWIFC member tribes are: Lummi, Nooksack, Swinomish, Upper Skagit, Sauk-Suiattle, Stillaguamish, Tulalip, Muckleshoot, Puyallup, Nisqually, Squaxin Island, Skokomish, Suquamish, Port Gamble S’Klallam, Jamestown S’Klallam, Lower Elwha Klallam, Makah, Quileute, Quinault, and Hoh.

The NWIFC was created following the 1974 U.S. v. Washington ruling (Boldt Decision) that re-affirmed the tribes’ treaty-reserved fishing rights. The ruling established them as natural resources co-managers with the State of Washington with an equal share of the harvestable number of salmon returning annually.

Read more on our About Us page.

  • Biologist III – Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation

    May 25, 2017

    Download Announcement The position will utilize principles of fishery science, population dynamics, statistics, sampling theory, and experimental design while functioning as the project manager for the Walla Walla River Basin Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) project. The individual will be responsible for managing the implementation of salmonid M&E staff and funding contracts in a manner consistent with […]

  • Policy Analyst – Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe

    December 12, 2016

    Download Announcement The Policy Analyst serves as a liaison/representative for the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe and under the supervision of the Natural Resources Director, working closely with the Fish Committee, Hunting Committee, the Lower Elwha Tribal Business Committee, and Lower Elwha tribal staff. The Policy Analyst summarizes and analyzes natural resource issues, develops alternative actions […]

  • Introducing Northwest Treaty Tribes

    August 24, 2015

    Tribes. Treaty Rights. That’s what we’re all about. This week, the treaty tribes in western Washington are launching a new communications effort called Northwest Treaty Tribes: Protecting Natural Resources for Everyone. At first blush, the only change you’ll notice is that instead of getting tribal natural resources news from social media and web platforms of […]

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  • What treaty tribes are saying about the Hirst decision
    Treaty tribes in western Washington are concerned about efforts in the Washington state Legislature to overturn a recent state Supreme Court decision. Last fall the court ruled in Whatcom County v. Hirst that counties need to first check that water is available before issuing building permits. This decision simply ensures that counties understand their water […]
  • Native Nations Standing together for the Paris Climate Change Agreement
    The following is a statement from The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, the Quinault Indian Nation, the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community, and the Central Council of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska. Four Native Nations from across North America announced today that they will continue to uphold and support the Paris Climate Change Agreement. […]
  • Tribe searches for camas in disappearing prairie
    For a few weeks this spring, members of the Squaxin Island Tribe fanned out across prairies in deep South Sound to gather camas. Camas is a traditional tribal food that grows in prairies across the region. The outings were organized by the Squaxin Island Tribe’s traditional garden program. After gathering camas, the participants learned to […]