The Eyes of the Elders

Elson S. Floyd Cultural Center

The Eyes of the Elders

66 cast bronze eyes inlaid from the east entrance by Judith & Daniel Caldwell

Niimíípu (Nez Perce) culture teaches reverence to elders and departed ancestors, and a consciousness of their continued presence after death. The emphasis is shared with traditional cultures in many parts of the world and was the starting point for Judith Caldwell's conceptualizing the Eyes of the Elders on the floor of the Cultural Center. Since animals arrived before people, Niimíípu stories count them as elders and teachers, looking to them for the lessons of life.

The installation begins just inside the East Entrance of the building, with a wall-mounted cast bronze root bag, patterned after a traditional Niimíípu design. The eye of Coyote, the trickster hero-villain of Niimíípu stories, emerges from the bag. Nearby, on the floor, a trail of 66 single eyes lead visitors down a ramp and around the perimeter of the great hall to the exterior door that leads to the Meditation Pavilion. 

All of us, young and old, are somebody’s child, on a journey from birth to death. The Eyes of the Elders aims to represent this idea that our wise and venerated elders and ancestors are watching out for us and guiding us along the way. 

Complete list of eyes, in order: