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Why are tourists so drawn to this part of the city? Today it is cold and deserted, Valentine’s Day, with just a few upscale restaurants starting to fill up for lunch. The thematic gaslights that line Water Street look less atmospheric during the day, but their presence reassures me, the tourist, that I am in the right place. I keep walking. I begin to see that Culture is for sale here. I walk into a store that is full of plains headdresses, northwest coast carvings, dream catchers, and fridge magnets. Edward Curtis-type portraits of noble ‘Chiefs’ line the walls. The young woman behind the cash register looks tired of this job, ignores me, and talks on a cell phone to her friend. I step back onto the street, and walk a little further. |
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