Participating in this project has been an invaluable learning experience for me. Prior to this course I have completed three oral history projects with members of my home community, so when I elected to take this class I was very excited to learn more about a process I knew I enjoyed. Once I established contact with Hazel and we began our first interview, I was enthralled; by the time our first session concluded, I remembered how much energy active listening takes, especially when I realized that three hours had passed without our notice. I feel lucky that I had the opportunity to work with someone so forthcoming about her experiences but also fulfilled the goals of this project. In this set of encounters, I was particularly aware of how the power-dynamic shifted between us, with me taking a more passive role, primarily listening, while Hazel actively led the thread of dialogue through a variety of topics. After the interviews concluded, I also worked with the knowledge that, with Hazel’s consent, I was responsible for representing her life story. In developing some sense of acquaintanceship with her throughout our sessions, I feel doubly motivated to do well by the presentation of her words, her memories, her life’s story as she shared with me. In so many ways I have a greater recognition of the power words hold and my own awareness and responsibility in how I wield that power.