Image provided by: The Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs; Warm Springs, OR
About Spilyay tymoo. (Warm Springs, Or.) 1976-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 21, 2003)
Page 6 A f k.- iiiiiiniii -77 JSP irmi Elders of the Confederated Tribes, family mem bers and friends gathered recently at the Cove Palisades State Park. The event was the annual Seniors Picnic. This year the picnic included boat rides on Lake Billy Chinook. Native American youth to focus on salmon recovery The Salmon Camp Research Team is now funded to provide 54 Native American students the opportunity to learn science while helping bring about salmon recovery. The research team is part of the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI). Through OMSI, the Salmon Camp Research Team was awarded a $728,560 grant from the National Science Founda tion. Science By Dave McMechan Spilyay Tymoo This summer for tribal mem ber Christopher Wenzel has been out of this world. I lis interest is astronomy, the study of stars, planets and outer space. Because of this interest, Wenzel could not have asked for a better summertime expe rience. He is among eight recent high school graduates working on science and engineering projects at the NASA Jet Pro pulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif. During the nine-week sum mer program, the students will visit astronomy landmarks such as the Palomar Observatory near San Diego, and the 70 mctcr antenna at Goldstonc, one of the three complexes of the Deep Space Network. The student program is called the Alliance for Learning and sixony day at the Cove The three-year grant will an nually provide 54 students from western Native American tribes with the opportunity to work with northwest Native American scientists and resource manag ers. The students will have the opportunity to spend up to four weeks and seven weekends at OMSI camps and other institu tions. The students will spend their time learning how to use such is focus Vision for Undcrrcpresented Americans (ALVA). The program is sponsored by the NASA Jet Propulsion Labo ratory and the University of Washington. In the fall Wenzel will be at tending the University of Wash ington, to study and prepare for a career in the field that inter ests him the most. "I'm very proud of him," said his mother, Lois Wenzel. The Wenzel family lives in Washington. Lois is originally from Warm Springs. Her par ents are Pat Brown and Olson Mcatuis. Real life experience The ALVA program is the perfect way to prepare for up coming school year. Besides the inspiring tours of the telescopes and laboratories, the program provides the stu dents with daily calculus work shops. "The AIA'A program serves Spilyay Tymoo, . " , TV I -j. : ;Js w At top, Bertson Simtustus enjoys a boat ride on the lake, while Emerson Squiemphen manevours the craft (photo above). At left, Floyd Gibson relaxes by the water. At right, Claude Smith Sr. reads the latest news. equipment as data recorders, radio telemetry equipment, sta tistical software, global position ing systems and computer mod eling software in fieldwork and lab settings. The students will work di recdy with university, tribal and agency scientists, researchers and natural resource managers on computer modeling of com plex ecological, hydrological and geological problems related to Northwest salmon recovery. as students prepare for college (rv ' f74t:i W :i:YWji A tour of giant space antenna Is as a bridge between high school and college," said Wendic Donahue, university liaison at 1 Warm Springs, Oregon "This program can provide a direct line into college, intern ships, jobs and professional sci ence careers," said OMSI presi dent Nancy Stueber. "Also, by connecting students with tribal leaders and research ers, OMSI is helping to com bine the most advanced scien tific technology with traditional ecological knowledge," said Stueber. Using remote sensing (satel lite and aerial) technologies in i 11 'IT Photo oountay ofthtALVA program. part of the ALVA program. the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, "It gives the students a better taste of real life and work ex " " ' Photos by Selena Boise 'i Z'- t I lis f ' & conjunction with geographic in formation systems (GIS) tech nology, students and research ers will plan and implement sev eral salmon habitat restoration projects. Students will use hand-held computers in conjunction with GPS units to verify that data on habitats, landforms, cultural re sources, geology, soils and sur face water generated through remote sensing satellites is ac curate on the ground. perience prior to college. It's good in that they arc also able to see that work is really work -it's not as glorious as expected." The program started nine years ago, and is geared toward undcrrcpresented minorities in science, math, engineering and technology. The students are selected by the University of Washington and, once at Jet Pro pulsion Laboratory, are matched to projects and programs ac cording to their interests. At the end of the nine-week program, the students are re quired to do a 15-minute pre sentation about their experi ences. The laboratory The Jet Propulsion Labora tory is managed by the Califor nia Institute of Technology. The laboratory is NASA's lead cen ter for robotic exploration of the solar system. The laboratory telescopes arc observing distant galaxies in the August 21, 2005 h Besides the grant from the National Science Foundation, the salmon camp is supported by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, and the Howard Vollum Scholarship Fund of the Oregon Commu nity Foundation. Native American community leaders, educators, parents and students interested in learning more about OMSI's salmon camp program can call (541) 548-5473. The laboratory cameras and sensors are currently aboard satellites circling the Earth. universe to study how the solar system was formed. The Jet Propulsion Labora tory also manages the worldwide Deep Space Network, which communicates with spacecraft and conducts scientific investi gations from its complexes in California's Mojave Desert near Goldstonc; near Madrid, Spain; and near Canberra, Australia. The laboratory cameras and sensors are currently aboard sat ellites circling the Earth. They are studying the ozone, oceans and other Earth sciences. The laboratory's main site is at the foot of the San Gabriel Moun tains near Pasadena, 12 miles northeast of Los Angeles. (Information for this article was provided by Lois Wenzel and Enrico Piatfa.) ' c -i V ;