Native-Owned · Bellingham, WA

Native solutions
for Native communities.

Salish Code builds software specifically for tribal governments, tribal colleges, and Indigenous institutions — tools that reflect your workflows, your language, and your values. Built by someone who works inside these communities, not just alongside them.

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Richard, Founder of Salish Code

"Our mission is to strengthen tribal sovereignty through technology — delivering software, data solutions, and digital tools that serve our communities' needs, built by the people they serve."

Richard Jefferson · Founder

Currently working with Northwest Indian College (NWIC) Serving tribal nations of the Pacific Northwest CS graduate, Western Washington University 2024 Native-owned and operated
Who we serve

Built for institutions that existing software ignores

Off-the-shelf tools aren't designed for tribal governments. We build for the organizations that Banner is too expensive for and Google Forms is too limited for.

Primary
Tribal Governments
Tribal councils, LIBC-style governing bodies, and departments handling grants, enrollment, housing, and social services. Your workflows are unique — your software should be too.
Primary
Tribal Colleges
TCUs and community colleges that can't afford enterprise systems like Ellucian. Degree planners, advising tools, and student tracking built to your academic calendar and program structures.
Extended
Indigenous Organizations
Cultural programs, language revitalization efforts, community health initiatives. If you're doing the work of sovereignty and you need technology to support it, we want to hear from you.
What we build

Purpose-built tools, not adapted ones

Every product starts from a real problem identified inside a tribal institution. No guessing, no generic templates.

Available for pilot
Grant Management Tracker
A pipeline tool for tribal grants coordinators to track federal grants from identification through award. Replaces the five-spreadsheet, three-email-chain system most departments are running today.
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In development
Degree Planner for Tribal Colleges
A self-contained academic advising tool built for small tribal colleges. Drag-and-drop scheduling, credit tracking, and multiple pathways — no Banner license required.
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In development
Tribal Member Services Portal
Enrollment verification, document requests, and community announcements in one place. Built around tribal enrollment workflows, not adapted from a generic constituent management system.
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Available
Custom Development & Consulting
Have a specific problem that doesn't fit a packaged tool? We scope, design, and build custom software for tribal departments. Database design, web applications, workflow automation.
Get in touch →
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About Salish Code

Technology from inside the community

Richard Jefferson, Founder of Salish Code
Richard Jefferson
Founder & Developer
Salish Code LLC

Salish Code was founded on the understanding that tribal governments and Indigenous institutions are chronically underserved by the technology industry. Enterprise software is too expensive, generic tools don't fit tribal workflows, and outside vendors rarely understand the political and cultural context they're building for.

I'm a CS graduate from Western Washington University (December 2024) currently working in technology integration at Northwest Indian College in Bellingham, where I'm building academic advising tools and supporting STEM programming — including coding workshops for students at Lummi Nation School. That work directly informs everything Salish Code builds.

The goal is simple: build tools that tribal staff actually want to use, priced so tribal governments can actually afford them, by someone who earns trust the same way everyone else does — by showing up and doing the work.

PostgreSQL React Python HTML / JS Godot Data Modeling Tribal Government Context
LinkedIn GitHub contact@salishcode.com
What does your team actually need?

We build based on demand data, not assumptions. Fill out our 3-minute community survey and directly shape what gets built next. Request a callback and we'll follow up within two business days.

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Get in touch

Let's talk about what you need

Whether you're a grants coordinator frustrated with spreadsheets, an IT director evaluating options, or a department head with a problem you can't find software for — reach out. The first conversation is always free and always useful.

contact@salishcode.com
Bellingham, WA · Serving the Pacific Northwest
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