Drones in Alaska Student Guide: Lower Koyukon Athabascan

Student Guide Drones in Alaska https://sites.google.com/alaska.edu/drones LOWER KOYUKON ATHABASCAN 2 What is a drone? Drones are aircraft that fly without a kk’ok’enaałt’oghenh (pilot) inside. Drones come in many shapes and sizes. Some are small enough to fit in the palm of your hand, while others are big enough to carry people. Drones are remote-controlled and some are highly advanced robots that can move and make decisions. Drones have many uses. They can carry cameras and other tools to study Earth from above. They are easier and often cheaper to fly than a manned airplane. They can reach places that are difficult or dangerous for people to reach on foot or in a vehicle. Drones have many uses in Alaska. How might a drone be used in your community? image courtesy of ACUASI Alaska has many exciting opportunities for drone research. ACUASI at the University of Alaska Fairbanks is one of several official drone test site locations across the country. When [the drone] works, they can check where it's safe to travel throughout the winter. They can check different creeks [to see] if it's open over these ridges that they're passing. They can use it for a lot [of purposes]. It's just, you know, eyes in the air. Martha Turner Nulato, Alaska Yok'enodzeedzYok'enodzeedz Drone "bumblebee in the sky" 3 Drone Vocabulary Alaska Native Values for Curriculum: Honor Your Elders, See Connections, Know Who You AreAlaska Native Values for Curriculum: Honor Your Elders, See Connections, Know Who You Are Would you like to learn Alaska Native language terms related to drones? Work with classmates or your teacher to practice the vocabulary words in this booklet. Use the cards provided in the drone kit, or print them at https://sites.google.com/alaska.edu/drones/. Activity 1 ˛ Kaska Naukan Yupik Southern Tutchone Tagish Tahltan Tlingit Tsimshian Hare Aleutian Islands Tanana Tanana Upper Tanacross Ahtna Dena’ina Central Yup’ik Holikachuk Deg Xinag Upper Kuskokwim Siberian Yupik Sirenik Koyukon Inupiaq Haida Eyak Alutiiq / Sugpiaq Han Northern Tutchone Unangax NulatoNulato Noolaagh DohNoolaagh Doh Krauss, Michael, Gary Holton, Jim Kerr, and Colin T. West. 2011. Indigenous Peoples and Languages of Alaska. Fairbanks and Anchorage: Alaska Native Language Center and UAA Institute of Social and Economic Research. Online: https://www.uaf.edu/anla/collections/map/. 4 Nulato dialect: Lower Koyukon Athabascan English term or phrase yok'enodzeedz drone "bumblebee in the sky" ggaaggoz bird Naat'oh. It's flying. Nodenotl’ee. It's landed. telege eagle dotson'raven ełts'eyh wind kk'ok'enaałt'oghenh pilot Neenłaanh. See it. Kk’onheedeneeyh. They're working. Practice these vocabulary words and listen online by visiting https://sites.google.com/ alaska.edu/drones/. That’s so important, to be able to have [the children who are members of Native corporations] and our children speak in our native languages... You can’t have language without culture, and you can’t have culture without language. It’s got to go together. Chief Bill Smith Valdez, Alaska 5 Ggaaggoz neełaanhuGgaaggoz neełaanhu View of a Bird How is a bird’s view of the world different from a person’s view? A dotson' (raven) flying overhead sees the world differently than you can see it from the ground. That is because a dotson' has an aerial view — a view from above. Have you ever climbed a tall hill or looked out the window of an airplane as it flies? How does being up high change what you can see? You might notice that when you are on the ground, you can see tree trunks and the walls of buildings. When you have an aerial view, you see tree tops and the roofs of buildings. You can also see a larger area from above than you can from the ground. There’s a Native [saying]… the English version of it is ‘Show me your pack so I can fill it with meat,’ and when you’re watching the raven flying up when you are out moose hunting… you say that in the Native tongue, and when the raven is flying by and it flips its wings down — where that wing is pointing down — that’s where you go for the moose. He’s showing you where the moose is because when you’re done skinning the moose, there’s tidbits left for the raven to eat. Don Charlie Nenana, Alaska photo by MJ Preston 6 There are many advantages to a bird’s eye view. A dotson’ (raven), is a well-known ggaaggoz in Alaska. Dotson’ is an important figure in the spiritual stories of many Alaska Native cultures. In the stories, Dotson’ often uses his aerial view to help him. Do you know any Dotson’ stories? How might Dotson’ use his ability to see from above to his advantage? Like Dotson’ and any other flying ggaaggoz, a yok'enodzeedz also has an aerial view of the world. Drones allow people to see the world from above, without having to climb to a high height or ride in an airplane. If you could fly a yok'enodzeedz anywhere you wanted, where would you go? What would you like to see from above? This aerial image taken from a yok'enodzeedz shows a road, trees and other plants from high above. Can you see the shadows of the trees? image courtesy of ACUASI image by Daniel Walker, UAF/GI Telege (eagle) is another important figure in Alaska Native cultures and stories. Eagles rely on their bird’s eye view to hunt prey. 7 Activity 2 Bird's Eye View Alaska Native Values for Curriculum: Know Who You Are, Honor Your Elders, See ConnectionsAlaska Native Values for Curriculum: Know Who You Are, Honor Your Elders, See Connections Have you ever listened to a storyteller share a story about Dotson’ (Raven)? Try it! As the Elder shares the story with you, think about the way Dotson’ used aerial and ground-based perspectives to achieve his goal. Then think about how you could use an aerial perspective to achieve a goal. illustration by Hannah Foss, UAF/GI Materials: • "How Raven Stole the Sun" by Maria Williams • "Kushtaka: The One Who Sits and Waits" by Chief Bill Smith • "Raven and the Sun" by Mary Esmailka (Koyukon) • "Raven Falls in Love with Goose" by Matthew Titus • Tea and refreshments • Cups • Paper • Colored pencils 8 Procedure: 1. Invite an Elder to your classroom to share a story about Dotson’. Welcome the Elder and give them a comfortable place to sit. Serve them tea or coffee and listen closely as they share the story with you. 2. Think about the story you just heard. At what point in the story did Dotson’ have an aerial view? At what point did he have a view from the ground? How were these different perspectives useful? How did Dotson’ use both perspectives to accomplish his goal? 3. Draw a picture of what Dotson’ saw. 4. Share your drawing with the Elder and your classmates. Discuss: Did Dotson’ have an aerial view or was he on the ground? What advantages does Dotson’ have by being able to see from the sky? 5. Now draw a picture from the perspective of another character from the story. Share with a partner. Discuss how your second drawing is different from your first. How do the two characters see the same setting differently? 6. As a class, discuss with your guest how birds are similar to and different from drones. Dotson’ used an aerial perspective when he was trying to achieve his goal. How might you use an aerial perspective to achieve a goal? 7. Thank the Elder for sharing the story with you. You can make a thank you card, make them some artwork, or help them with something to show your appreciation. I'm Tlingit and my father used to often times tell this wonderful story "How Raven Stole the Sun," which I've heard multiple times. It's a story that is shared by multiple tribes with different variations but I'm sharing the variation as told to me by my father. Maria Williams Author Chief Bill Smith shows a drum he made that illustrates an Eyak story of how Raven stole the sun, moon and stars. image by Daniel Walker, UAF/GI 9 What kinds of data can a yok'enodzeedz collect? High definition camera drones use many types of cameras. Large drones can carry high quality cameras and many other instruments. High quality drone cameras take detailed images at long range. The kk’ok’enaałt’oghenh (pilot), scientists, and many others use these detailed photos to study waters, lands, wildlife or structures that may be hard to reach. This is easier than using a satellite or an airplane because drones can be flown lower and more precisely. Yok'enodzeedzYok'enodzeedz Bumblebee in the Sky photo courtesy of ACUASI This camera drone is being used to inspect the bridge. Before drones were used for this, a person had to make the dangerous climb onto the underside of the bridge to perform the inspection. I used a drone to get coordinates for a plot for someone’s house… We get nice aerial footage of our construction and look for plots or aerial views of where the building could go or where we could have a new building site without having to walk there or cut everything down. We can see right overhead. Steve Roberts Nulato, Alaska 16 photo by Marco Silva | Unsplash photo by Kargona | Dreamstime.com photo by Eric Tidwell | NPS photo by W. Carter | wikimedia ts'emaa spruce tree k’ełdon' dandelion k'ełdon' fireweed t'egheł cottonwood tree 17 Activity 4 Procedure: 1. Use scissors to cut out your whirligig from the template. 2. Cut along dotted lines and fold on solid lines. Attach a paperclip to the tail of your whirligig. 3. Work with a partner. Place a hula hoop on the floor as a target for your whirligig. 4. Lift your whirligig above your head and drop, aiming for the target on the floor. As your whirligig twirls to the ground, announce “Naaghelmełtl.” (It is spinning). How Does a Drone Fly? Alaska Native Values for Curriculum: Show Respect to Others, See Connections, Honor Your Elders, Know Alaska Native Values for Curriculum: Show Respect to Others, See Connections, Honor Your Elders, Know Who You AreWho You Are In this activity, you will build a whirligig that uses the same type of twirling motion a spruce seed and a drone rotor use. When you drop your whirligig, the air provides resistance that slows it down. As you build your whirligig, think about what you read on how the whirligig “flies.” By experimenting with the weight, shape and position of the blades, you change how fast and how much air is pushed out of the way. Materials: • Scissors • Tape • Colored pencils • Paper clips • Hula hoop • Whirligig template • Stopwatch (optional) Air resistance Gravitational force Lift illustration by Katherine Bendall, UAF/GI 18 5. Record your observations. Where did your whirligig land? What direction did it fall? Can you count the number of rotations your whirligig makes as it descends to the floor? 6. Drop your whirligig 3 more times. Remember to say, "Naaghelmełtl," each time you drop it. How might you redesign your whirligig to change the way it flies? Discuss: • What did you notice about the way the whirligig flies? • Did the whirligigs turn in a certain direction? Why? • How might you make the whirligig rotate in the opposite direction? • Why might one student’s whirligig fly straight down while another moves side to side? • Do all of the whirligigs remain in the air for the same length of time? Why or why not? photo courtesy of ACUASI 19 Naat'oh.Naat'oh. It's flying. How do things that fly change position in the air? Birds are found in all types of environments, and species come in all sizes and shapes with wings that are adapted for their survival needs. A dotson' (raven) has flight feathers and muscles in its wings which are light and strong. These help to lift the bird’s weight off the ground. Each dotson' also has contour feathers that give it a smooth shape. A dotson' can change direction in mid-air by twisting its tail or changing the position of its wings. Increasing or decreasing its speed can also change the bird’s position in the air. Airplanes mimic the shape of birds and use many of the same strategies to change position in the air. images courtesy of alexas_fotos | pixabay and Fir0002 | Flagstaffotos Most drones have four propellers...It’s a lot of precision controls... Technology has finally gotten to a point where you can tell each [drone] motor to do exactly what you want and it does some really cool tricks. I remember seeing a drone do the flips! Karsten Sierra Fairbanks, Alaska 20 image by Daniel Walker, UAF/GI image by Daniel Walker, UAF/GI image courtesy of connie_sf | pixabay image courtesy of Zaimful | pixabay Look at the birds shown below. Have you seen these birds where you live? How do these different birds move differently through the air? melaalzene/dets'ene Canada goose maats gull dotson' raven telege eagle 21 What type of movements can a yok'enodzeedz (drone) make? Drones are able to move in several directions through the air. The yok'enodzeedz is controlled from the ground by the kk’ok’enaałt’oghenh (pilot). Movements the yok'enodzeedz makes are based on which directions the kk’ok’enaałt’oghenh moves the throttles. The movements a yok'enodzeedz can make reposition it in the air by changing the pitch, yaw, roll and lift of the yok'enodzeedz. Changing pitch causes the nose and tail of the yok'enodzeedz to move up and down. Yaw moves the nose from side to side. Roll is a circular movement (clockwise or counterclockwise) of the body as the yok'enodzeedz moves forward. Lift is vertical movement of the yok'enodzeedz body up and down. How do you safely fly a yok'enodzeedz? It is very important to ensure a safe flying environment before piloting your yok'enodzeedz. Below are 6 general safety guidelines to follow as a drone kk’ok’enaałt’oghenh (pilot). yaw pitch roll 1. Maintain a “line of sight.” 2. Don’t fly over people. 3. Learn and follow local drone rules. 4. If you want to fly outdoors, get clearance from the FAA and local authorities, and pass the TRUST exam. 5. Don’t fly in the dark or under bad weather conditions. 6. Stay below 400 feet altitude. 6 Safety Guidelines A UAF drone pilot demonstrates safe flying practices while flying a drone above Nulato, AK. drone illustration by Katherine Holmgren, UAF/GI, photo by Mariah McNamara, ,UAF/GI 22 Activity 5 Pitch, Yaw, Roll, Lift Alaska Native Values for Curriculum: Show Respect to Others, See Connections, Have PatienceAlaska Native Values for Curriculum: Show Respect to Others, See Connections, Have Patience Drones change pitch, yaw, roll and lift as they travel through the air. It is important for the kk’ok’enaałt’oghenh (pilot) to know and understand each direction a drone can fly while piloting a drone. Imagine you are a yok'enodzeedz (drone). In this activity, you will practice moving your body to demonstrate pitch, yaw, roll and lift! Materials: • Drone Safety Video • Pitch Yaw Roll Animation Procedure: 1. Watch Pitch, Yaw, Roll Animation. Pay careful attention to how the controller causes the yok'enodzeedz to move. 2. Follow along with your body, moving as the drone moves. Describe each movement type and what direction they help a yok'enodzeedz move in space. 3. In an open space, play a modeling game. Use your body to represent the yok'enodzeedz. Spread your arms to represent the wings that hold the rotors. Your nose will be the front of the drone. When your teacher calls out: pitch, yaw, or roll, take these actions: a. Pitch (drone has nose up or tail up): fold forward and bend backward at the waist. Move in these directions back and forth. b. Yaw (drone nose moves side to side): Hold arms straight out to the left and right. Plant your feet and turn at the waist to the left and right. c. Roll (drone nose moves in a circular motion as it moves forward): Hold arms straight out to the left and right. At your waist, tilt your body to the left and then tilt your body to the right. d. Lift (drone moves up or down vertically): Squat down and then stand back up. 23 4. Watch the Drone Safety Video. 5. Review the Safety Guidelines on page 21 of this student guide with a partner then discuss why each rule is important for flying. Make a list of other safety tips that you learned from the Drone Safety Video. Why are these tips important? yaw pitch roll drone illustration by Katie Holmgren, UAF/GI remote illustration by Molly Putman, UAF/GI phone illustration by aozora21 | vecteezy.com Fn pitchlift yaw roll 24 Who makes up a drone team? Are you ready to fly a yok'enodzeedz (drone)? There are many different roles and responsibilities that are involved with a successful yok'enodzeedz flight. A kk’ok’enaałt’oghenh (pilot) is responsible for operating the yok'enodzeedz while it is in the air. The kk’ok’enaałt’oghenh needs to watch the controller and keep the yok'enodzeedz in sight. A spotter can help the kk’ok’enaałt’oghenh notice incoming obstacles or look for hazards that may appear. Drones can have technical issues as well. A technician specializes in taking care of the yok'enodzeedz and making sure all parts are in working condition. Scientists use many tools and devices to gather the data they need from a flight. A data analyst interprets the many types of data collected by drone instruments. In the table below, take a look at the four roles listed in a yok'enodzeedz flight team. Which role are you most interested in? Would you like to try them all? Kk’onheedeneeyh.Kk’onheedeneeyh. They're Working. image courtesy of ACUASI A professional drone team works together to fly a yok'enodzeedz. 25 Drone Flight Team Team Member Duties Technician Charge phone and batteries. Check the drone before use. Install the battery. Change the propellers if needed. Attach phone to controller. Place the drone on the pad. Change batteries during challenges. Organize the battery charger to keep enough batteries charged at all times. Kk’ok’enaałt’oghenh Start the drone and the recording. Manage the drone controller. Sit or stand in one place. Fly the drone. Follow the drone via the live broadcast camera only. Spotter Co-pilot the drone. Monitor the drone to ensure that the drone is not in danger of hitting another object. Communicate with the kk’ok’enaałt’oghenh to let them know if there are risks or obstacles near the drone. Data Analyst Assist the team during the flight and observe the progress of the flight. At the end of each exercise, retrieve the video from the phone. Save a copy. View the video recording. Discuss future improvements with the team. graphics by Molly Putman, UAF/GI There needs to be a level of respect in capturing [data], but also respecting the equipment and safety. I think for people flying — going over checklists, looking at the equipment and being calm [are important]. Adam Demientieff Fairbanks, Alaska