First Native American in space inspires Neah Bay students
John Herrington, the nation's first Native American astronaut, signs Carson Tholt's T-shirt during a Neah Bay appearance. -- Photo by Debbie Ross-Preston
By Debbie Ross-Preston, for Peninsula Daily News
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"That's great!" said Herrington.
"Math and science will get you there."
Carson is a Makah tribal member.
His desire to be one of the few who have traveled to space is the kind of flame Herrington wants to fan in all youth, especially tribal boys and girls, across the country.
To do that, the former NASA astronaut and Navy test pilot — and member of Oklahoma's Chickasaw tribe — is bicycling across the nation.
After beginning in Neah Bay and Cape Flattery on Wednesday, he will wind his way to Cape Canaveral, Fla., on a 4,000-mile journey expected to take about three months.
The bike trip will include many stops on Indian reservations.
Herrington, 49, was a member of the Endeavour Space Shuttle team that spent two weeks at the International Space Station in 2002.
It was a flight that included nearly 20 hours of space walks for Herrington as a mission specialist.
Now he is honoring his tribal heritage and encouraging students to study science, math, engineering and technology to achieve their dreams.
Herrington's progress can be tracked via his Web site, www.rocketrek.com.
Herrington's bike is equipped with a laptop, broadband phone, GPS and digital camera. He is making daily entries to a blog at his Web site and is charting his progress.
"I was rarely No. 1 in anything," Herrington told a roomful of Makah students and community members on Tuesday.
"But along the way, I had mentors who guided my talents and told me I could do things I didn't think I could do.
Dedicated, work hard
"You don't have to be number one to be an astronaut, but you do have to be dedicated, work hard and work well with others."
While Herrington played astronaut as a child, his path to becoming one of the elite was not straightforward.
His family moved away from Oklahoma and his Chickasaw roots at an early age, one of 14 moves before he graduated from high school.
He was good at math and learned to fly airplanes in his teens.
Kicked out of college for poor grades because he was spending more time rock climbing than studying, he said, he got a job assisting an engineering firm with his rock climbing skills.
He also got sage advice from one of the engineers.
"He told me I could be doing his job and that I should go back to school."
Resolved to finish his degree, Herrington graduated in applied mathematics and later joined the Navy as a pilot.
He completed a master's degree in aeronautical engineering and became a naval test pilot.
After his second try, Herrington was accepted into the NASA astronaut program.
After a presentation of pictures and video of his space travel, curious Makah students peppered Herrington with questions.
Carson Tholt's mother thought her son took Herrington's message to heart.
"He has always been good in science and interested in experiments," Ticishway Tholt said.
"He made up his mind after listening to John's presentation."
Herrington signed a T-shirt that now adorns Carson's wall.
He plans to visit the Yakima tribe in Toppenish; the Nez Perce tribe in Lewiston, Ind.; the Flathead tribe in Missoula, Mont.; the Crow tribe in Lodge Grass, Mont.; the Wind River reservation near Arapahoe, Wy.; the NASA Explorer Schools in Colorado Springs, Colo., and Wichita, Kan.; the Chicksaw in Ada, Okla.; the NASA Explorer Schools in Sasakwa, Okla., and Hot Springs, Ark.; the Mississippi band of Choctows in Choctaw, Miss.; and the NASA Explorer Schools in Tuskegee, Ala., and Gainesville, Fla.
His Web site includes a daily math and science problem for visitors to solve.
"I'm trying to keep it fun and show that math and science can be applied to tasks daily," Herrington said.
While in Neah Bay, Herrington was given a tour of the Makah Cultural and Research Center and a boat tour of the Cape Flattery area.
He enjoyed a salmon dinner.
"I am honored to begin here," he said. "It's been a great start to the journey."
His trip is supported by the Chickasaw tribe, Trek Bicycle Corp., Pro Bike Inc. of Oklahoma City, American Indian Institute for Innovation and South Dakota Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs.
LOG ON TO www.rocketrek.com and learn more about John Herrington and his mission.
At his Web site you can track his progress on Google Earth, solve science problems related to his bicycle trek, view updated trip videos and photos, read his blog and post your own comments.
________
Debbie Ross-Preston is the coastal information officer for Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission.
Peninsula Daily News reporters contributed to this story.
Last modified: August 15. 2008 9:00PM