Tradition Comes to Tollefson Plaza

It’s important to welcome visitors. It’s especially important in a place prone to unwelcoming rains and (lately) the occasional unfriendly traffic boondoggle. And what better way to pay tribute to our guests than to greet them with a traditional Coast Salish welcome figure, carved from local logs by an artist from the Puyallup Tribe?

This afternoon, the 22-foot tall figure was installed in the southwest end of Tollefson Plaza. The face of the figure, a native woman, is covered for now, and will be revealed on Saturday (Sept 18) during a blessing and unveiling ceremony scheduled for 10am.

For pictures of the installation, see the excellent coverage at Tacoma Daily Index.

For an interesting history of this sculpture, see the story at Tacoma Weekly.