Northwest Intertribal Court System | Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis Reservation, Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe, Muckleshoot Tribe, Port Gamble S'Klallam Tribe, Sauk-Suiattle Tribe, Shoalwater Bay Tribe, Skokomish Tribe, Stillaguamish Tribe, Tulalip Tribe

Courts are cornerstones of sovereign governments: they define and uphold the laws through which nations govern themselves. Too often, however, the absence or weakness of tribal courts means tribal citizens must rely on state courts that are ill-equipped to serve their needs. In 1979, a consortium of small tribes whose limited resources precluded the establishment of independent tribal courts formed the Northwest Intertribal Court System (NICS). NICS has demonstrated its commitment to protecting and advancing tribal sovereignty for over two decades by providing its member tribes with adjudication services and helping them to establish their own courts that promote fair, equitable, and uniform justice. 

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