Member Profile

Louie Gong is a Native American of mixed heritage who was raised by his grandparents, father, step-mom, and extended family in the Nooksack tribal community. Since graduating from Western Washington University’s School Counseling program in 1999, he has worked primarily with communities of color as a teacher, child and family therapist, and counseling program coordinator. In all these roles, and in his current position as Education Resource Coordinator for the Muckleshoot Tribal College, Louie pushes for recognition of the mixed heritage experience in educational and social intervention programming. This value is also interwoven into his work as adjunct faculty for Northwest Indian College and Evergreen State College, where he teaches classes such as the “Native Americans of Mixed Heritage” (Fall 2008).  He is also proud to serve on the Executive Committee for the Washington State Native American Higher Education Consortium (WSNAHEC) and as Vice President of the MAVIN Foundation, one of the nation’s leading institutional advocates for mixed heritage people and families. In his work with the MAVIN Foundation, Louie is co-developer of the Mixed Heritage Center, the largest online resource for mixed heritage people and families in the nation. In his spare time, Louie dabbles in Coast Salish art, competes in triathlons, and eats curry chicken.