The first class of 10 students is set to graduate from an Indian welding school on the Lummi Nation of Washington. Art George, a welder and former chairman of Nooksack Tribe, started the Native American Fabricators Welding School in 2008. He has been training participants for 10 hours a day, six days a week, for 16 weeks. "You can't help but get good at it," George told The Bellingham Herald of the intensive course. The program will help the participants with job placement. If successful, George plans to bring in more students in the fall. The Lummi Nation provides financial support for the program. The Interior Department pays for tuition and offers a stipend for living expenses. The 10 students represent tribes in Washington, Idaho, Alaska and the Southwest. Get the Story:
New program teaches welding to Native Americans (The Bellingham Herald 3/10)