This intricate and thoughtfully-designed memorial serves to honor tribal veterans. Bronze paddles representing Squaxin warriors are clustered around seven pools of water, where each pool represents one of the waterways where Squaxin Island people have lived for generations. Beautiful carved benches near the pools provide places for reflection and solitude. House posts and a canoe connect to form a portal that leads to the memorial’s inner “island,” and at the heart of the memorial there is a wall that holds medallions representing each branch of the military.
Landscaping incorporates native plants used by warriors for healing and sustenance. A 10-ton granite rock that is nearly 600 years old sits prominently near the entrance, and features carved petroglyphs of a bear, a mountain, the sun and a bow and arrow. The rock was historically used by the Tribe as a navigational landmark.
Korsmo Construction supported the Squaxin Island Veteran’s Memorial through an in-kind donation of construction labor on the project.
