On an early spring afternoon, a totem pole with newly attached wings stood tall greeting every person who enters the Cedar Creek Corrections Center. As the sun peeked through the overcast skies, dozens lined up to be smudged before the ceremony to awaken the totem pole.
The totem pole was carved by Albert ‘Al’ Smith, who is Suquamish, Shoshonne-Bannock and Pima Nation. Smith has been incarcerated at the facility since 2024.