March 17, 2026  

Media Contacts:     
Marcine Miller, Executive Director, Public Information Office, 509-682-6582, mmiller2@wvc.edu 

Tammy James, Employment & Education Director, Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, 509-634-2777, tammy.james.adm@colvilletribes.com 

Wenatchee Valley College and the Colville Confederated Tribes (CCT) are excited to announce they have partnered with the WA Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) Office of Native Education (ONE) and the North Central Education Service District (NCESD) to convene educators across the state for the John McCoy (lulilaš) Since Time Immemorial (JMLSTI) Curriculum Training on March 27. 

This event will be held on the college’s Wenatchee campus on Friday, March 27 from 7:30 a.m to 4 p.m. in Mish ee twie’s Maguire Conference Center (MET).  

Educators and administrators across Washington state are invited to attend this professional development event designed to deepen understanding and implementation of the Since Time Immemorial (STI) curriculum. This training will focus on tribal sovereignty recognition, place-based learning, inquiry-based pedagogy, hands-on implementation, and cultural responsiveness. 

This partnership between the college, CCT, ONE, and the NCESD builds on the 2025 Washington State Indian Education Summer Teaching Institute held in Omak. The Summer Teaching Institute was designed to support Washington state schools as they implemented Washington State Senate Bill 5433, which mandates that all schools teach Washington’s tribal history, culture, and governance. Grounded in Indigenous theory, the STI invited educators and administrators to learn best cultural-responsiveness practices alongside Washington state tribes, Indigenous scholars, elders, and First Peoples. 

"Education must reflect the land it stands on,” said Chairman Jarred Michael Erickson of the Colville Confederated Tribes. “The John McCoy (lululas) Since Time Immemorial curriculum invites schools to learn from the knowledge, history, and sovereignty of Tribal Nations, ensuring that every student understands that Indigenous peoples are not only part of our past, but vital to our present and future."  

Wenatchee Valley College President Faimous Harrison shared, “We are honored to join our partners in hosting the JMLSTI Curriculum Training on our Wenatchee campus. This partnership builds on a state-wide commitment to teach students at every level about tribal history, culture, and sovereignty. We invite educators and administrators across North Central Washington and the state for a day of impactful learning.” 

Clock hours will be available at no charge for all attendees.  

Visit the NCESD’s JMLSTI page to register and learn more. 

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About Wenatchee Valley College 

Founded in 1939, Wenatchee Valley College enriches North Central Washington and delivers relevant, innovative, and experiential educational opportunities for thriving and healthy communities. Learn more at www.wvc.edu.  

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Wenatchee Valley College is committed to a policy of equal opportunity in employment and student enrollment. All programs are free from discrimination and harassment against any person because of race, creed, color, national or ethnic origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, the presence of any sensory, mental, or physical disability, or the use of a service animal by a person with a disability, age, parental status or families with children, marital status, religion, genetic information, honorably discharged veteran or military status or any other prohibited basis per RCW 49.60.030, 040 and other federal and state laws and regulations, or participation in the complaint process. Learn more at www.wvc.edu/publicdisclosure.