Spilyay Tymoo
October 29, 2014
Coyote News, est. 1976
Vol. 39, No. 22
October – Anwicht’ash – Fall - Tiyam
Reservation UAV program taking off
The Warm Springs unmanned
aerial vehicles testing program is
showing real potential for revenue
and jobs on the reservation.
Three new jobs could be open
within the next several months, said
Don Sampson, interim chief execu-
tive officer of Warm Springs Ven-
tures.
These jobs are the UAV testing
business developer, the project man-
ager, and range manager.
The business developer would
work with and recruit the UAV com-
panies that are in need of a testing
site.
The project manager would over-
see engineering, making sure the
flight plans, for instance, are prop-
erly engineered.
The range manager would be at
the sites ensuring that the tests are
conducted in compliance with regu-
lation.
These initial jobs are possible
through state funding earmarked
for development of UAV testing in
the state.
Up to $1.5 million would go to-
ward the UAV testing infrastructure,
and up to $1 million for testing op-
erations, Sampson said.
Some funding could be used for
scholarships. Central Oregon Com-
munity College has a two-year UAV
program, and Ventures would like
to have tribal members pursue this
growing field, Sampson said.
The COCC program will be us-
ing the Warm Springs test range for
training. The UAV field is perfect
for young people who are already
computer literate, he said.
Ventures would then look to hire
UAV interns to gain further experi-
ence in the field.
“This is a growing industry, and
Warm Springs is the only tribe in
the nation that is going to have a
test range,” Sampson said.
There will be direct revenue
to the tribes from the fees
charged to the companies that
use the reservation test range.
There are other opportunities as
well:
Kah-Nee-Ta will see ancillary
revenue, as companies will need
somewhere for their testing
teams to stay. Ventures and the
resort are looking at developing
a simulation center and meeting
space for the companies.
Please see UAVS on 3
On the job with Composite Products CEO
J ake Coochise started work-
ing at Warm Springs Compos-
ite Products back in 1997. His
first job with Composite Prod-
ucts was on the production floor.
He had just graduated from
Willamette University with a
degree in Business and Eco-
nomics. So at first Jake was
thinking the production floor job
would be short term.
But Composite Products
turned out to be a good place
to work; so he stayed on, learn-
ing more about Tectonite and
how Composite manufactures
its world-class fire-rated doors.
Jake worked on the produc-
tion floor for six years in vari-
ous capacities, and then moved
in to a sales position.
At the time all of the Com-
posite sales were in the United
States, as all of the testing of
the fire-rated doors was to U.S.
standards.
Jake learned about the Brit-
ish standard for the doors, and
which other countries follow the
British standard. He made con-
tacts with people from the
Commerce Department, and in
time a whole new market—
countries in the fast-growing
Middle East—opened up to
Composite Products.
Jake became the director of
global marketing, building busi-
T he diverse and extraordinary
artistic talents of the tribes are
on display at the Museum at
Warm Springs.
The Twenty-First Annual
Member Art Show, ‘Creative
Natives,’ features different kinds
of beadwork, paintings, jewelry,
photography and other pieces.
Barbara Starr won the Judges
Choice Award Traditional for her
beaded tapestry, ‘Wolf ’ (far
right). And Owen Wallulatum
won the Judges Choice Award
Contemporary for his painting,
‘Chief Wallulatum’ (right). One
of the Honorable Mention
Awards goes to Terry Stradley for
the beadwork, ‘She Who Watches’
(lower right).
Dave McMechan/Spilyay
Jake Coochise at Composite Products.
ness relationships with companies in
places like Dubai, United Arab
Emirates.
The overseas sales are now more
than a third of Composite Products
overall business. This helped the
enterprise weather the bad eco-
nomic post-2008.
Earlier this year, Duane Darnell
retired from full-time work as the
Composite Products chief executive
officer. The enterprise board this
summer chose Jake as the next
CEO.
Jake now oversees the overall
operation, and remains the lead per-
son in the global sales aspect of the
business.
Composite Products employs 44
people. The plant operates in two
shifts. About 80 percent of the
employees are tribal members or
other Natives living on the reserva-
tion.
The architectural fire-rated
doors—used in office buildings,
hotels, and other commercial build-
ings—are the main product at Com-
posite Products. The enterprise also
produces some secondary wood
products, and most recently is
looking into developing an
acoustic door component.
Acoustic doors are sound-
proof, and there appears to be
a growing market for these
doors in the Middle East, Jake
said.
Jake is a Madras High School
graduate who grew up in Warm
Springs. His mother is Libby
Chase of Warm Springs, and his
father is Elbridge Coochise of
Arizona.
Dave McMechan
P.O. Box 870
Warm Springs, OR 97761
ECR WSS
Postal Patron
U.S. Postage
PRSRT STD
Warm Springs, OR 97761
50 cents
Herding in
unclaimed
horses
Tribal Range and Agriculture has
been working to reduce the envi-
ronmental damage caused by the
unclaimed horse population on the
reservation.
Range and Ag has rounded up
about 1,300 horses this year, and is
going for 1,500 to 1,600 by the end
of the year, said Jason Smith, Range
and Ag manager.
Last year Range and Ag removed
about 1,200 horses from the reser-
vation, Smith said. The removal
program is in its fourth year, he said.
Four years ago there were an es-
timated 6,000 unclaimed horses on
the reservation. The animals dam-
age and destroy fish habitat, elk and
deer habitat, berry and other tradi-
tional foods habitat.
The goal is to get the number of
unclaimed horses down to a man-
ageable level in the Range and Ag
districts.
Habitat restoration funding is
helping to get the problem under
control.
The Confederated Tribes of
Warm Springs are among the tribes,
including Yakama and the Navajo
Nation, that have been contending
with this problem for the past sev-
eral years.
Audit, sports
items at 509-J
school board
The Jefferson County 509-J
School District board met on Mon-
day, accepting the annual district
audit report, and hearing updates on
various items. The audit was clean,
showing no problems.
The board heard a report from
student Sophia Gemelas regarding
the Madras High School Homecom-
ing.
Homecoming was a great time
for everyone, with the exception of
the outcome of the football game.
Mariah Stacona and Hector Baez
were the Homecoming Queen and
King, Sophia reported.
Student Josh Hocker reported on
the MHS water polo team. Water
polo is not a recognized sport by the
Oregon School Activities Associa-
tion, but the school could look into
making it a letter sport, Josh re-
ported.
School board members said they
would be interested in having water
polo as a letter sport at the high
school.
The board heard a draft report
on the incidence of students with
“not yet proficient” marks in some
of their classes. The board is inter-
ested in seeing how many students
at the school had “not yet profi-
cient,” or “NYP” grades.
Please see SCHOOL on 10