10/18/2024
…have you seen the new Suquamish Welcome Pole here on Bainbridge Island? We’d love to take you there on your tour with us!
Representing Chief Seattle’s father, the Welcome Pole will inspire all to learn about the rich culture of our Tribal neighbors and acknowledge that Bainbridge Island is the ancestral land of the Suquamish people.
The 14-foot, old-growth cedar Welcome Pole by carver Randi Purser represents Chief Seattle’s father, Schweabe (an approximation of his traditional name), who was Suquamish. The Thunderbird atop the figure represents the power of his family. As a new father at the time of first European contact, he is depicted with a frog of the new year, representing a family and a people at the cusp of a time of great change.
The pole complements another carved post, across Puget Sound on the Seattle waterfront, representing Chief Seattle’s mother Scholitza (an approximation), who was Duwamish, holding him as a baby.
Book your island tour with us today and let us show you the beauty and history of Bainbridge and these lands!
