Learning Through Listening in Harney County             

       Our Spring Break Class: We had the chance to visit Harney County where we meet with a lot of great stakeholders. All of these people took time out of their life to meet with us. As a group we facilitated the questions that were asked. We worked together to come up with some questions that may lead to the answer of what rural sustainability is. This was a very non-traditional class and at times very difficult, especially when we had to report back to the community what it was that we hard them say over the few days we meet with them. Anytime we were out and about we all talked to people and it was nice to feel like they wanted to tell us their thoughts and stories.
       We tried to come into this experience with as little assumptions as possible. We actively listened to what we were being told and then tried to objectively take something from it. I think we all took different things from this class, but we all felt welcomed and better informed once we left. We noticed that there is no clear and cut answer to what rural sustainability is even within one community.
       We spent long hours processing a lot of information that we gathered from the community. I soon realized that there was a divided community between the tribal sovereign nation and the rest of Harney County. The rift is trying to be dissolved on both sides, but misunderstandings and deep held beliefs can sometimes get in the way. Also there was a diversity in the Burns community that lead to different ideas about how the future of Harney County should look like.
       I tried to analyze what was said in order to ask better questions for the next stakeholder and also to develop my own conclusion on what sustainability is.
After researching and listening we collectively came together and noted the opportunities, challenges, and successes their community faced. It is also important to note that most communities face these same obstacles and chances.
      Through being an active listener, facilitator, presenter, recorder, and a sensitive member of the group we learned a great deal about the diverse and complex issues that a rural community can face. I also so the way they can come together to better their community. The small and simple feel of the County reminded of something that  I miss by living in a more urban area. The importance of family, culture, friends, wildlife, and community is not overlooked in this area at all.

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Jobs in Rural Communities
    Different rural communities face different difficulties when it comes to jobs and their economy.  For Harney County since the Lumber Mill  was shut down the job situation in Harney County can look very bleak. There are some  store owners on Main Street that have been there for awhile, but many of them noted that they are just breaking even keeping them from expanding or renovating their business. It is also very obvious when walking down the "Main Street" and seeing all the boarded up buildings that Harney County is not thriving like it once was. Still the community is full of hope and certainty that they will thrive again when it comes to the economy. The goal now is to figure out in what form is that going to come in? When there for the very fast pace four days we heard from different stakeholders on what their idea was of rural sustainability. Some want to grow a lot, others just a little, and others who like it the way it is. For the latter they would like to see a "drive-by" economy that brings tourist in, but also leave when they are done taking in the beauty of Harney County. Some people would like to see another large industry come in like the Lumber Mill to compliment the wood veneer business that is currently there. This would help to increase the economy overall, but would also bring in people from all over for a job. Those who want to see it grow a little would prefer a small agricultural industry to come to the area so it can employ just those in the area that need it and want it. The problem with all these ideas is the isolation of Burns and Hines. The transportation is a factor for any business. Since it is far way from other major cities it will cost more to ship in and out materials for a new industry (and the ones there already). This is probably why we saw a great want for a new industry that can use the surrounding materials in order to cut cost. When the idea of e-commerce came up some would consider the idea, but others were not to keen about the idea. As an urban community we can shake our heads and say "hey you could solve all your woes if you would just plug in to the Internet Highway" because we see technology as the answer to the economy. This way however, makes things very unpersonal and that is something that would threaten the Harney County community. The people are so friendly there and they take the time to actually talk to you. Something that  urban areas may be a little less apt to do since e-mail. So even if the Internet could save them from economy unsustainability it may not be worth it. These people live here because they enjoy the rural-ness of the area. It is a little piece of the simpler times we use to live in, so to take our ideas about what a good economy is for  a place like this would not be right nor would it work. With this being said the job situation may look bleak, but they have prosper before and I'm sure they will again they just need to do it on their own terms, not the urban way.

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College Opportunities in Rural Communities
     As for college opportunities in Harney County their are no colleges around for teens to get ahead on college courses. The closest college is an OSU campus in Bend, Oregon. More than this there is no college recruitment that really go to Burns to actively recruit. Even though the sports program out there offers some chances for students to be involved there are no Athletic recruiters who look towards Burns to pick up youth for their teams. These children excel at sports, but funding for it is always a problem. In fact, the sport program was cut, so the community started SODA to raise the money to have the sports continue. This is no small feet for a small town with a low median income. The community rallies behind the teams and this helps to keep these kinds of programs in place since the No Child Left Behind policy has affected this rural town. Trying to put all  their funds into the classes that need to be passed by the students  in order to keep funding from the government. Also the budget that is created can be a problem when students leave and they are not entitled to that money anymore causing funding problems. These issues mentioned above have lead to using the Internet for kids to take classes, which can be beneficial, but it can also be harder for students who need teacher interaction in a traditional classroom setting. These things outlined above may cause difficulty when trying to get students excited about college. It would also mean leaving their tight knit community and going far away for college, which may be extremely scary keeping kids at home. On the other hand there is a large out migration rate because of the lack of opportunities in the area. This may lead some children into college and then to return later in their life. But for those students who can't afford college or unable to get into a college they may have to look at other options to get the chance to explore the world outside of Harney County.

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Leaving the Nest and Comfort Bubble of Home
      Most children once they get to high school start to feel that twitch to step outside the comfort bubble of their parent's house. The need to see the world outside of the one they have always known becomes important. This may be amplified by the lack of jobs, colleges, and activities to do in a place like Harney County. This is not to say that they leave and never come back, but instead go out and get a degree and maybe a spouse and then settle down in Harney County. In fact this exploration is even encouraged by most of the parents in Harney County. There is an opportunity here because they are then able to come back with a degree that can produce an increase in the local economy. When spending time there I felt like there was little to do and as a group we kept asking what is there to do in this town, some people would have enjoyed more to do. Still  other members of the community reminded us that the urban idea of fun my not be the best or only way to have fun. Instead we were reminded that they had good personal relations when they spent more time developing friendships whenever they did anything, including rolling rocks down the hill.  There is probably a great opportunity for us urban people to learn from the rural community.The adventure could be scary and hopefully they find a good support system away from home within their chosen activities once they leave. The lack of routine and a parent reminded them what to do may lead to a need for more structure which could lead to the appeal of a military career.

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Military Recruitment
      The three themes outlined above came up again and again in my time in Harney County. They are all things that can lead to challenges, but they can also lead to opportunity. These themes also do have some successes in them and hopefully that will continue. Still these obstacles do lead to a niche that needs to be filled and in light of the military conflict we are in currently it opens up for the heavy recruitment of military branches. This is really bordering a line of selective recruitment, which is not moral. Below are some articles that explain the way the under-represented (ethnicity) people and people from poverty are over represent in the military. The people who come from a higher economic class are not equally represented in the military. Since the teens in rural areas may feel backed into a wall due to governmental polices and other factors within their community they may look at the military as their only chance out. The military promises things like an education, health care, money, a college career, and the chance to see the world.This may blur the risks that are involved  leaving the youth willing to overlook these factors for a chance for something different then what they have currently.

1. Military Mirrors Working-Class America
2. Military Census
   
3. Military Casualty Information
   

   

Composed By: Mikhelle Gattone
Ethnic Studies Undergraduate
gattonem@onid.orst.edu