A new plaza is open to the public at the Oregon State Capitol in Salem, Oregon. Mayer/Reed’s landscape design transforms the Capitol entry into a welcoming and universally accessible civic space that supports gatherings and everyday public life. A centerpiece of the project is “Oregon Voices,” an art installation commissioned through Oregon’s Percent for Art in Public Places Program that Mayer/Reed designed in collaboration with artist and scholar Dr. Phillip Cash Cash (Cayuse, Nez Perce). “Oregon Voices” brings forward the words of Tribal Leaders, Elders and Culture Bearers drawn from historical and contemporary contexts, etched into 11 monumental boulders integrated within the landscape. 

A crowd gathered in the new plaza on May 26, as members and leaders of Oregon tribes spoke at the dedication. “It is important to remember and understand the experience of all Indigenous peoples in this land,” Dr. Phillip Cash Cash told the crowd. “The words are meant to share with you their connection to the earth and why that is such a vital element in the lifeway of our ancestors.”