The dog days of summer are here. As Oregon warms up, I’m finally pulling myself out of Oregon and heading north to Montana where it should be a bit cooler. It’s hard to go, but I’m truly GOING RURAL in every way. Sometimes I wonder how I ever spent so many years in big cities. I can’t imagine ever doing that again. As I leave southern Oregon, I am looking forward to returning in late September to be part of…
I never thought I’d find it so excruciatingly difficult to leave Oregon, especially southern Oregon’s timber communities. As I drag my feet in my final days before heading north, I want to take time to consider what I learned in these rural towns that dot our state. What do I most hope to impart to others? What inspired me? What made me wince? What made me smile? Here are my mosts. There are many more—but these are what came to…
The world is on fire as we watch the news. Over the last two weeks I’ve been in and out of Canyonville’s milepost 97 fire. Like so many issues facing rural communities, fire encapsulates so much of what occurs in these regions of the world. City people seldom get to be a part of that. There’s the official, stated cause, for how the fire started. And then there’s the chatter, the finger pointing and the speculation. My own journey into…
Meet The Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians I heard about The Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians debate when I was interviewing decedents of pioneers who’d received free land in the 1850’s as part of Oregon’s Donation Land Act. During my interviews, I’d often hear, “They aren’t a real tribe.” “Really?” I’d ask. “What are they, then?” The response would be the same. “They just aren’t a real tribe.” I needed to know more so…
