Learning through Listening

Ethnic Studies and Sociology

Spring Break Course

by Elizabeth Harper

The Burns citizens and adjacent Paiute Indian tribal members were wonderfully embracive during this process. They need to be commended for their participation and generosity to Oregon State University students. My experience in Burns allowed me an insight into rural Oregon communities that I would not have accessed without this course. Likewise, the community of Burns is allowed a voice which may otherwise be silent. Burns, Oregon, is a sleepy little town, far removed from the pulse of the fast city life of Portland, Salem, or Corvallis, Oregon. The changes that need to take place within the community of Burns are directly related to the healing of these old historical wounds, the shame, the feelings of inadequacy, the resentment, the discriminatory attitudes and beliefs which are formed from cultural perceptions and untruths. This will require communication and innovation, not an aesthetic fix.

Here are some links to other websites: