John T. Williams Memorial Totem Pole Project
Lead Artist Rick L. Williams

The gift of the John T. Williams Memorial Totem Pole Project was funded through private donations and erected to raise awareness of the traditions, history, and culture of Seattle’s native populations.

Williams, a First Nations woodcarver, was fatally shot by a Seattle police officer in August 2010 while carrying a knife and a piece of wood. Carved by Williams’ family and friends, the 34-foot pole includes depictions of a perched eagle, mother raven and a figure of a woodcarver.

Located at the Seattle Center in Seattle, Washington