A Tlingit story pole symbolically representing the history and purpose of Seattle Pacific University will be rededicated on Saturday, October 8, at 1:30 p.m. Tlingit tribal representative Tom Dalton and SPU community members will be part of the special ceremony at the location of the pole behind Alexander Hall on campus. The event is part of SPU?s 125 anniversary celebrations.
The 25-foot cedar pole, commissioned by SPU?s Class of 1971, was designed and carved by Tlingit tribal member Abner Johnson in the early 1970s. Johnson spent several years working on the pole in SPU?s Art Center lobby, where students and the public could watch him carve. Each figure on the pole has a symbolic meaning tied to Seattle Pacific. A falcon, the mascot of SPU, graces the top of the pole.
The public and media are invited to the short ceremony.