Search for the Great Chief of a native tribe in Seattle.

Search for the Great Chief of a native tribe in Seattle.

Safeco Field Stadium
I was at Safeco Field Stadium in Jun. 23, 2001, where Mariners vs Angels was held. Ichiro was the leading hitter of American league by this time.

Seatlles downtown viewed from Safeco fiel"d

Ichiro as Right Fielder

Mt. Rainier, from outside of Safeco field stadium
Some japanese call the mountain as "Tacoma Fuji", meanig "Mt. Fuji of Tacoma".

My own portrait at the gate of Safeco field

Ichiro in this day hit no times in 5 at bats. Mariners lost in 1 -2, and Sasaki didn't pitch. While fans from Japan were dissappointed, the game was a nice pitcher's battle.

The Great Chief of Seattle
The main purpose of this trip was, of course, to watch Ichiro in the stadium. There are many such fans from Japan now. A newspaper reports the profit of $10 billions in 5 years are expected from Ichiro and Sasaki. And I'm one of such fans. But Ichiro was not only my purpose.
It was also Ichiro who let me remember it: In Jan. 17 (just 6 years since the earthquake of Kobe), japanese journalisms reported that he took "Kobe bell" in Seattle. The bell is the monument presented from Kobe people to Seattle people as they bocame sister city each other. Previously it, the Totem Pole was presented from Seattle people to Kobe's, which stands in front of city office of Kobe now.
In those days, the chief of a native tribe of Seattle visited Kobe to complete their work. The chief then visited "Yamate elementary school" in Kobe, and gave a speech to the pupils, where I was a pupil.
I thought if I were to meet the chief again. Although he may be too old to be alive until now, there must be some relatives of him living in Seattle. So I searched for informations about Seattle's native tribes through Seattle city Web page or so. And I found Tillicum Village , where you get served baked salmon in Indian style and a dance show based on their legends. This is a leisure site. Good. A leisure site will never refuse a stranger. And if I'm lucky, there might be some relatives of the Chief, I thought.

The Tillicum Village
In Jun. 24, the next day from the Marines' game, I got a trip to the Tillicum Village.
To visit the Village, you have no choice other than the ship from pier 55. The ship departs everyday in summer, but only Sunday and Saturday in the other season. There are twice departures, 11:30 and 16:30. Each of them is a 4 hour trip of $65 fee.
I selected 11:30 departure. At pier 55 they take a photo for each party. Is this in $65 fee? No, they sell it to you when you return from the Village, in $8. I bought one, for I had no other good portrait of myself.
It was somewhat a cold day for June. Moreover, when we arrived the Blake Island (where the Tillicum Village is sited) after 1 hour cruise, it fell a weak rain. Does the weather forcaster say it rain? Anyway, don't believe in forcasters even in Japan, even in America. Ha!
But now we are landing. Here's a totem pole.
We enterd to so called "Long House." There are masks displayed. Aren't they alike from japanese "Okagura masks?" And these are the baked salmon Indian style. The main dish of dinner is the salmon. Other menu are Indian bread, rice, salad and clam soup. Salmon is somewhat tasteless for japanese who are accustomed to salty ones, however, there are a bottle of soy source on the table. Salmon with soy source was delicious for me.
And the dance show begins. While it is based on history and legends of Northwest natives, it is a little hard for me to follow the all-English narration. If there were more visitors from Japan, they might provide a japanese version of narration. But the Village seems to be not so well-known in Japan, and in this time there were only two japanese parties, including myself.
I took a photo of a young dancer after the show, and bought a tiny totem pole and a book titled "The story of Tillicum Village/ 35 Years of Myth & Magic". On the ship for return, I read this book.
The author of the book is Mark Hewit, President and CEO of the Tillicum Village, whose father, Bill Hewit, established the Village (although he is a white person).
The word "tillicum", meaning friendly or friendly people, comes from Chinook Jargon, the trade language used by various tribes along the Northwest Coast, the book says. The former US president Bill Clinton had held an APEC Leader's Meeting here, and Morihiro Hosokawa, the prime minister of Japan then, also visited here.
But I was rather attracted a photo in the book. There I found a person, Joe Hillaire of Lummi Tribe. I'm not certain, but it seems he is the person who had visited Kobe, and Yamate Elementary School. He was, the book explains, "A great friend and advisor to Bill Hewit", and the photo was taken "during the 1961 ground breaking ceremonies". It was the same year when the Chief came to Kobe.
However, I'm not certain. And this journey was going to finish croplessly.

After return to Japan, I sent a e-mail to Tillicum Village but it can't reach to them because of "host unknown." However, I received the reply for the Cc which I sent to Seattle Office of Kobe City by Mr. Takaaki Matsuda. He says that Mr. Joseph Hillaire is indeed the person who had visited to Kobe and my school. I express thanksness to Mr. Matsuda.

Seattle promenade
Here's some views of Seattle I saw in three days.
Skyscrapers stand in downtown, where streets and avenues run just like Manhattan, New York. But the downtown here is comparably small.
Down the slope from downtown, you reach to Water Front. There stand 70 piers, on which stands Aquarium, shops, restaurants and fish bars. In fish bars, oysters are available even in June. Within $10 I got 6 oysters and a bottle of beer.
A retro streetcar runs through the Water Front.
Pike Place Market is upward from Water Front a little north of Aquarium. There's somewhat Asian smell.
This Baptist Church is neary the top of hill. Around here are silent and beautiful habitations.
Bus fees are free in downtown.
In the midst of downtown is West Lake Center. A coach is waiting for passengers there.
You can go to the Seattle Center from here via a-few-minute monorail ride of $1.25 fee. Or you can also go there by a little walk from the terminal of streetcar, Broad ST station. The space Needle gives you a wonderful panorama sight at $11. There's Kobe Bell just beyond this International Fountain.
Return to West Lake Center. Here runs subway buses. Most of buses in Seattle are trolley buses. Because they don't emit air pollutants, they can run through the subway. These are also free.
The subway bus reaches to International District, neighbouring to the Safeco Field. Here's China Town, a Japanese garden or so. However somewhat a lonely place.
In Kobe there's a China Town called "Nankin Machi". It's a beautiful and brilliant town. However, it was not as is today in my childhood. Chinese in Kobe, I hear, have worked hard to build such an attractive town. How about Kobe's Chinese tell their experiences for their Seattle's counter parts to activate their towns, as members of sister city?

People
I met many people in this trip. A couple who seated neighbour to me in Safeco Field. A couple who shared same table with me in Tillicum Village. A shopman in Barnes & Noble who told me "Arigato gozaimashita"(thank you in Japanese). A shopgirl of a boutique in West Lake Center who helped me to buy some presents for my mother. And etc. All they were kind, gentle, have some witnesses and intelligences.
Tens of thousands of years ago, there were some people crossed the Bering Channel from Asia to American Continent. A part of them reached to this coast, habitted here and created their own culture. Europeans in contrast, reached here just century and a half ago. When the latter came here, the former were to be said friendly. And the name Seattle comes from the name of the chief then, Seeath.
Dutches purchased the Manhattan Island from Indians by price for 60 stone pieces, writes Ryotaro Shiba, a famous japanese writer. Wasn't here such a robbery? I wish to believe here wasn't.
Bill Hewit, I think, had built the Tillicum Village because he held deep respect to native's culture. Tillicum (friendly) seems to spill over here since ancient days, I think.
Today, the Japan Tribe rush to here led by the Great Chief Ichiro. And this time again, people here seem to welcome the new tribe by sprit of tillicum. During my stay, TV news were reporting about falling down of Boeing's stock, red tide or some other uncomfortable things. Not so a few people feel bitter, I suppose. Mariners, driven by Ichiro, is giving confidence to very these people. So, we Japan Tribe should follow our Great Chief, and let Seattle's people get alive. That's the reply for the sprit of tillicum.
Thank you!

We are tillicum!
Jul. 2001
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