Totem Pole

No directional signs. Street work makes it difficult to get there.

My first reaction to this totem pole was worry. Why is it here? I thought of the totem pole in Pioneer Square and how the original was stolen from an Alaskan tribe, then burned down in the Great Fire. The current one is now a replica of a stolen artifact. Luckily, if nothing else, this totem pole is not stolen.

From Seattle’s Office of Arts and Culture: “The totem pole was originally carved in the early 1900s for the Waterfall Cannery in Alaska. It was raised near the cannery’s general store, where it stood for many decades until its mysterious disappearance. The pole resurfaced in Seattle in two pieces, where it was found and restored by the Committee of 33, who then donated the pole to the city of Seattle for permanent installation at its current site.” So it has something to do with Seattle culture I guess, but not Coast Salish culture.

Anyways, the site itself is a great location to watch boats.

Peaceful. Great views of the bridge, canal and gateway to the Arboretum.

More than a totem pole as it links the Montlake Cut to the arboretum.

Such a fun view of the lake!