The Samish Indian Nation unveiled a healing totem pole Saturday in a 2hour ceremony at the Samish-owned Fidalgo Bay Resort & RV Park. Onesmall hitch: as the pole was being unwrapped, one of the blanketscaught on an edge and a aerial bucket vehicle had be used to unsag theblanket.
The pole was started after trestlefire last October, but after the 7 Tesoro Refinery workers died as a result of an explosion and fire in April, the decision was made to honor them, as well.
The ceremony of traditional songs and speeches included handing out native blankets to some members of the audience. Four people were selected as witnesses to carry the feeling of the ceremony back to their own people. The 4 were: Erica Pickett, George Adams, Gary Robinson and Larry Campbell.
The ceremony took place alongside the Tommy Thompson Parkway as walkers, runners and cyclists came past.
Following the ceremony, everyone present was invited to lunch at the RV Park's Pavillion. Tribal leader Tom Wooten said the lunch was a modern-day version of a potlach.
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