Releasing the Spirit

When Doug Hyde was commissioned to create a sculpture for the town of Joseph, Oregon, one of the first things he did was to go there. He knew the story of what had happened in Joseph.

Hyde knew that it took its name from Chief Joseph, who led the Nez Perce people, when the government relocated them from their home in the lovely Wallowa Valley in northeastern Oregon, to a reservation in Idaho. He knew that it had been a sad time in Nez Perce history, and that even now, as the tribe continues to return to the area, feelings are still strong.

Hyde was born in Oregon; his hometown of Hermiston is about 150 miles northwest of Joseph. His ancestors were Nez Perce, Chippewa, and Assinboine. Although he and his wife Debbie have lived in Prescott, Arizona for the past 12 years and were in Santa Fe, New Mexico, for 40 years before that, the traditions he grew up with shape the ideas that come to life in his sculptures. And when he stepped out in Joseph, Oregon, the ideas came quickly.

Doug Hyde (Arizona)

Arizona Sunset
Bronze
17.5″ High

“The colorful sky and dimming light mark the end of another day for a Navajo family. Orange glow, red sunset, and purple clouds—part of the blessing way. Walk in beauty.”