Heads & Hearts Opening Reception

The Nimiipuu (Nez Perce ) people traditionally hold their landscape in deep reverence, understanding it as a hallowed elder being that provides spiritual sustenance as well as nourishment , medicines, and resources that are central to Nez Perce ways of life. The Nimiipuu art, photographs, testimony and stories in this exhibit convey these important relationships and unprecedented legacy in the Inland Northwest.

Heads and Hearts: The Landscape Through Nez Perce Eyes shows how Nimiipuu stories and art record past “signature” geologic events, some unknown to geologists, and enhance our understanding and appreciation of the Northwest’s dynamic landscape. It is a way of experiencing eastern Oregon from a First Nation’s cultural perspective. This exhibit is a collaboration between Nimiipuu storytellers, artists, photographers, linguists, and elders along with geologists. After visiting this eye-opening exhibit, you will never see Eastern Oregon the same.