LANGLEY, Wash. — Long before it was an idyllic Northwest tourist town, Langley was the home of the Snohomish Indian Tribe.
More than 50 years ago, some residents decided to erect totem poles along the town's scenic waterfront.
The problem is, the poles have very little to do with Native Americans.
"The culture of Langley had no idea," said Langley City Councilmember Craig Cyr. "They were completely blind to the concept of cultural appropriation."
One pole was carved in 1966 by a 17-year-old, white boy.
A photo from the Whidbey Record newspaper at the time confirms it.
The carving includes Native imagery and is respectful toward the culture, but it was dedicated to the "early settlers of Langley."
Those, of course, are the people who stole the land from the Snohomish tribe.
Another pole, planted in 1975, has a much more colorful story.
"It's sex, drugs, and rock and roll," said Snohomish Tribal Chairman Mike Evans. "If you look at it, that's the story on the pole."
Evans said the pole tells the story of a young white man from Whidbey Island.
It is a story of drinking, partying, and chasing women.
The "Thunderbird" that sits atop the pole represents the cheap booze that goes by the same name.
That carver, now 83, confirms the story and its coded message to KING 5.
The man, a chainsaw artist, said the person who owned Langley's landmark Dog House Tavern at the time asked him to carve a totem pole for him.
Given free rein to carve whatever he wanted, the man decided to have a little fun with it.
He told KING 5 he didn't mean to offend anyone, and if taking the pole down would help unite the community, it should be done.
Chairman Evans believes the poles need to be removed and replaced with something more appropriate.
"You can't help but smile and laugh at it," he said, "but it is kind of offensive to have young people who do not know the culture try to participate and imitate Natives and not include the Natives at all in that."
The poles have been battered by wind and rain over the past half-century.
The controversy over whether to remove them is tempered by the fact that they're both experiencing severe rot and have been deemed a public safety hazard.
The poles will come down.
What, if anything, will replace them has not been decided, but councilmember Cyr is grateful they're helping tell the full, true story of the city he loves.
"I'm proud of our town," Cyr said. "I'm proud we're taking this on."