Spilyay Tymoo
Coyote News, est. 1976
January 4, 2017 - Vol. 42, No. 1
January – Wiyak’ik’ila – Winter - Anm
Miss Warm Springs 2017 Katrina Blackwolf
K atrina Blackwolf has wanted
to be Miss Warm Springs for
some time now.
“Especially since I was Little
Miss Warm Springs in 2000,
I’ve looked up to the older girls
who were Miss Warm Springs,”
Katrina was saying the other day.
Over the years she has also
been the Miss Columbia River
Powwow Queen, and Junior
Miss Yakama Nation. “That
really gave me more confidence
in myself, and helped me with
public speaking,” Katrina says.
Growing up, Katrina lived in
Warm Springs. “I went to Early
Childhood Education and el-
ementary school here,” she says.
“And I made a lot of friends.”
She learned tradition and cul-
ture from her grandparents, es-
pecially grandmothers Galen
Jackson and Katie Blackwolf-
Bevis. Here grandfathers are
Amos Nelson and John Bevis.
Katrina’s parents are Zelma
Walsey and Levi Blackwolf.
Later during her youth,
Katrina moved to Toppenish,
Washington. “I played a lot of
sports in high school—softball,
basketball and cheerleading,” she
says.
She was president of the Fu-
ture Farmers of America, and
won a Student Lead Scholarship
award.
Now she goes to Yakama
Valley Community College, ma-
joring in Biology. “What I’m
really interested in is teaching
anatomy, human anatomy—
that’s what I want to do with
my degree and in my career.”
At school she is president of
the Yakama Valley Community
College Indian Club. Katrina,
Indian name Tallulucas, gave
this statement during the Miss
Warm Springs Pageant:
“I have gone through a lot
in my life, and have learned that
the most important thing you
can do during any situation is
to love yourself. So as Miss
Warm Springs I would pro-
mote that exact message, ‘Love
yourself.’”
Suicide prevention will be
one of her platforms as Miss
Warm Springs.
Her talent at the Miss Warm
Springs Pageant was Fancy
Dancing. “I chose that because
it took me a long time to get to
where I am today—it’s been a
long journey.”
Katrina likes going to new
places and meeting new people,
so she will be perfect as Miss
Warm Springs.
“I like meeting new people
and embracing their hospital-
ity because it always brings a
good memory,” she says.
Jayson Smith/Spilyay
New regulations
A focus of the tribes’ UAS program is the use of the drones in power
line maintenance, inspection and repair.
The drone at left was test flown this summer next to a de-energized
power line on the reservation.
as a test area in December 2014.
Ventures then sought state eco-
nomic development grant funding,
which is paying for the Kah-Nee-
Ta project, including the installation
of fiber optic cable to the resort.
Developing the UAS Innovation
Center included some challenges,
because the center is unique in the
nation, said Aurolyn Stwyer, Ven-
tures business and marketing direc-
tor.
Equipment at the center will in-
clude, for instance, a dozen drone
flight simulation computers. A
drone expert at Central Oregon
Community College was helpful in
determining the best equipment for
the center, Ms. Stwyer said.
When in operation, the center will
include FAA certified pilots who will
provide the training.
Jobs potential
There are four areas with job
potential for the tribes with the UAS
program, Aurolyn said. The jobs
aspect of the program has been
important in obtaining the state
funding, she said.
First, the UAS center will need
certified observers. They will be in
the field when companies and indi-
viduals are testing their drones.
A second area of employment
will be in drone manufacturing,
Aurolyn said. Ventures is planning
to build a manufacturing center at
the industrial park, at the vacant site
near the Ventures offices.
A third area of employment:
The training center itself will need
staff. And fourth: Ventures is look-
ing at developing a drone park at
Kah-Nee-Ta.
U.S. Postage
PRSRT STD
Warm Springs, OR 97761
Council
approves
cannabis
agreement
Warm Springs Ventures has de-
veloped an inter-governmental
agreement with the state of Oregon,
regarding cannabis production on
the reservation. This is a major step
toward implementing the production
enterprise.
Ventures chief executive officer
Don Sampson and legal counsel
Ellen Grover reviewed the agree-
ment last week with Tribal Council.
At the end of the discussion, Coun-
cil gave their approval by resolution,
voting 6-1-0.
A signing ceremony with the state
could happen as early as this month,
Mr. Sampson said.
The agreement was 11 months
in the making, including extensive
negotiation with state officials in-
cluding the Governor’s office and
legal counsel, and the Oregon Li-
quor Control Commission, which
regulates the industry in the state.
This is a unique agreement in
Oregon, and only the fourth such
document in the U.S. The other
three are with tribes in the state of
Washington.
The inter-government agreement
is the document that will allow the
tribes to export its cannabis prod-
ucts into the state market.
(See AGREEMENT on 3)
The park would include a
large net-enclosed area where
people can learn to fly drones.
Because of the net, the site would
be considered an in-door facil-
ity, with fewer certification re-
strictions. Hobby enthusiasts
would find it ideal.
The drone park would also be
unique. Ventures is planning a
feasibility study for the project.
When in operation, the park
would create jobs such as flight
trainers.
Courtesy Warm Springs Ventures and Soar
ECR WSS
Postal Patron
Dave McMechan
Miss Warm Springs 2017 Katrina Blackwolf
Looking to new year with UAV program
Twenty-seventeen will be the year
when the tribes’ unmanned aerial
systems program really takes off.
January and February in particu-
lar will see milestones in the UAS
program.
In January, Warm Springs Ven-
tures will coordinate a flight dem-
onstration for the Bonneville Power
Administration. The BPA demon-
stration will be at the de-energized
transmission line on the reserva-
tion.
Ventures’ partner Aerial Rigging
Systems will fly their EZ Rig
Drone, and demonstrate their
power line rigging system. The
business potential for this use of
drones is large, as the market cov-
ers all power lines in the U.S.
Then in February, Ventures is
planning a grand opening of the
UAS Innovation Center at Kah-
Nee-Ta. And later in the month,
Ventures will host a Drone Public
Safety Conference at the resort.
Police, fire and search and res-
cue agencies from around the
state are planning to attend. A
drone public safety expert from
FireWhat? Inc. will be the keynote
speaker.
FireWhat? is a geographic infor-
mation systems and technology
company, mapping emergency in-
cidents and creating technologies to
track responders and assets in and
out of the field.
As an example of the use of
drones in fighting wildfires: A
drone can determine the hot spot
location or locations of a fire,
without putting anyone’s safety in
jeopardy.
The Warm Springs UAS pro-
gram—a Ventures and Tribal Coun-
cil economic development pro-
gram—is entering its third year.
The FAA approved the reservation
PO Box 489
Warm Springs, OR 97761
In 2016, the FAA released
new regulations that change the
process by which a person can
become a certified commercial
drone pilot.
These changes made it easier
to acquire a commercial UAS li-
cense, and this development was
a major benefit to the tribes.
Rather than having to acquire
an actual pilot’s license, which is
expensive and can take a year
and, the commercial drone cer-
tification process can happen in
a matter of days or weeks, and
is much less expensive. This cre-
ates greater demand for use of
the upcoming Innovation Cen-
ter at Kah-Nee-Ta.
Growth industry
The FAA estimates that
20,000 drones are currently reg-
istered for commercial use. The
2016 FAA regulations are ex-
pected to produce a 30-fold in-
crease in a matter of months.
The FAA forecasts there
could be as many 600,000 un-
manned aircraft used commer-
cially during the first year follow-
ing the recent adoption of the
new regulations.
Timber Co.
okayed
for 2017
Tribal Council voted last week to
continue the Warm Springs Timber
Co. through 2017.
The vote came after a meeting
with Natural Resources general
manager Bobby Brunoe and Clyde
Hamstreet, of Hamstreet and As-
sociates, the consulting firm hired
to establish and oversee manage-
ment of the timber company.
By continuing the company
through this year, the tribes could
realize more than $2 million in tim-
ber stumpage payments, Mr.
Hamstreet said.
The timber stumpage payments
are the source of the Senior Pen-
sion and per capita payments.
The timber LLC brought in
about $1 million in payments dur-
ing 2016, when the company oper-
ated for about half the year.
Hamstreet gave a review of how
the company came about, and its
purpose:
First, the company is structured
as a limited liability company (LLC),
wholly owned by the tribes. Through
this structure, the tribes are pro-
tected from any potential liability for
operation of the company—an ac-
cident or timber contract issue, for
instance.
(See TIMBER CO on 3)
The Warm Springs Se-
niors Program will host the
Elders Holiday Luncheon
this Thursday, January 5, at
the Agency Longhouse. The
luncheon celebration begins
at noon, weather permitting.
You can reach the Senior
Program at 541-553-3313.