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Portraits By Bill Kossen
Chief Seattle / Mum's the word on what we've come to
He's heard all the complaints — the city's growing too fast, it's gotten too big, too noisy, too expensive, too full of uppity outsiders — blah blah blah, yada yada yada, gag me with a silver spoon full of foie gras. The regal-looking man has been listening to that recycled trash talk near the corner of Denny Way and Fifth Avenue for nearly 100 years now. And yet he still stoically stands there in tiny Tilikum Place with his right hand raised in a friendly sign of greeting. If anyone has a right to be upset about the state of the city, it's him. Long before there was Seattle's Best Coffee, Seattle's Best This and Seattle's Finest That (which is in Bellevue), there was only one good thing around here named Seattle and that was Chief Seattle. Actually, his name was Sealth, but the newcomers called him Seattle and the pattern of change was set — pretty much everything was fair game. And feel free to cash in on his changed name, too, while you're at it. But does anyone bother to ask Chief Seattle how he feels about things? Not that we can tell. Most people just walk right on by. That's a shame. Because he really is a nice guy, kind of quiet, but quite generous with his time. Q: Hello, Chief. It's an honor to talk to you. They say you were a "firm friend" of the pioneers. Says so right here on your statue. When they arrived — the Denny Ways, the Mercer Streets, the Boren Avenues — there seemed to be plenty of salmon and BlackBerries and Xboxes to go around. In 1870, there were only 1,107 people in the new city of Seattle. Today, there are at least that many at a Sonics' game. What do you think of the changes in Seattle? A: No comment. Q: High above you is a revolving restaurant where you can grab a bowl of "Seattle Clam and Corn Chowder" for $9. What do you think of the Space Needle? A: No comment. Q: Sonics? A: No comment. Q: Chief, do you ever feel like leaving? Or are you more like your bronze buddy up at Shilshole Bay, Leif Erikson, who stood his ground recently when workers tried to pull him off his pedestal and take him to a new home? You know, if it wasn't for Leif, we might not even be having this conversation. A: No comment. Q: OK, we can take a hint. Thank you for your time and your city. Have a nice day! A: No comment.
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