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From left to right, Teresa Battise, GPS operator with the Alabama Coushatta tribe, Gene Wilgaivowsli, Texas Highway Patrolman holding debris from Columbia, John Freise, environmental specialist
with the Cherokee Nation.

TAHLEQUAH, OK - The Cherokee Nation recently answered a call to help NASA locate debris from the space shuttle Columbia with their Geographic Positioning System (GPS) equipment. The space shuttle Columbia disintegrated upon re-entry into the Earth’s atmosphere Saturday, February 1.

“It (the GPS equipment) tells them where all the pieces of the shuttle landed and that information can help them determine when it broke up,” said John Freise, environmental specialist with the Cherokee Nation.

A mass e-mail was sent out on Tuesday, February 4, to organizations that owned this type of equipment asking for their assistance. Around thirty people with the equipment responded according to Freise.

“People were really happy to be able to help,” Freise said. “Especially all of the civilians. There were people there who were radio operators, people with horses and ATV’s, and the Red Cross was set up with food for everyone who volunteered.”

Freise and the other volunteers worked fourteen hours, in the rain, locating debris from the space shuttle. During his shift, Freise located 42 pieces of debris.

“We went out with a State Trooper,” Friese said. “First, we mapped out the location and then the trooper gathered the debris.”

The Cherokee Nation Firedancers were sent out earlier last week to begin the process of locating the debris before the GPS equipment operators arrived.

Mike Miller, Cherokee Nation Director of Communications Phone: 918-456-0671 (ext.2210) Fax: 918-458-5580 E-mail: Communications@cherokee.org Larry Daugherty, Advertising Manager Cherokee Nation - Public Affairs Phone 918-456-0671 (Ex.2324) E-mail: ldaugherty@cherokee.org

Bradley D. Peak, Cherokee Nation Natural Resources Specialist Phone: 918-456-0671 (ex.2843) E-mail: bpeak@cherokee.org Cherokee Nation, Oklahoma Attn: (Department Name) P.O. Box 948, Tahlequah, OK 74465 Telephone: 918-456-0671 (Toll Free OK) 1-800-256-0671