A Way of Life

Timothy Ballew Sr. is Lhaq’temish and an enrolled member of the Lummi Nation, from the Swan and Eagle clans. He has resided in his home territory all his life. He has been married for 40+ years to Laural Ballew, member of the Swinomish Tribe and WWU Tribal Liaison. They have two magnificent children, Timothy and Raymond, and grand boys. Ballew has been a lifelong harvester of the water for over 50+ years in the fresh water as well as the Salish Sea. His early years were spent with his grandfather, and he was able to practice the right to fish twelve months out of the year in his teen years. He has spent many years of his life in law enforcement, including monitoring tribal and state commercial fishers and and protecting natural resources from the US-Canada border to Seattle, WA. He served on the Lummi Indian Business Council for four terms, both as a council member as well as the Chairperson. Today he is a faculty member for the Northwest Indian College, which he finds very rewarding.