The interior of the Eagle Feather Trading Post.

After about eight months of planning and construction, the Eagle Feather Trading post, located next to Lake Success on Highway 190, is now open for business. Its soft opening occurred on Friday, October, 26.

The Eagle Feather trading post is owned by the Tule River Reservation.  It was a decision of the entire tribal council to build the gas station.   The tribe wanted this gas station in order to spread economic diversity in the community.

"The tribe is tying to bring things that will not only help the tribe, but also the community," said Ronal Martin, special projects director.

The proceeds will go to the Tule River Indian tribe, and it will be used to improve the lives and housing of the tribal residents.

Store manager Veronica Green thinks that the store will be very successful and make a lot of money for the tribe.

“I think we are going to do excellent business,” she said.

The gas company that sponsors the store is called First American Petroleum. This company makes a gas that is called American Petroleum Treatment, a special kind of gas that gets rid of the carbon in the fuel, and it is exempt from government taxes, this makes the gas a lot cheaper than average gas.

"I like to work in Indian country and help tribes in their economy," said Robert Ramsey, President and CEO of First American from the Yakima tribe in Seattle, Wash.

Ramsey has already helped several other stores in America, that includes two truck stops, four convenient stores, and they are working on three more. According to Ramsey, he has even been asked to take the gas out of the Indian country, so that other companies could use it, but Indian country is truly where his heart belongs.

"Our goal is to take this to Indian country across the nation," he said.

Ramsey arrived at the gas station opening with Julian D Pinkhab, court judge and spiritual leader of the Yakima tribe. He is the one who always blesses the stores that their company sells gas to.

“We bless the store in our Indian way and pray for the people,” Pinkhab said.

Residents who live near the Lake Success area are ready to take advantage of the new shop. Granite Hills Special Projects Coordinator Karla Necessary made a stop at the gas station on the opening day. This gas station is a great convince to her, since she lives near River Island.

“I come here for the good prices, plus I’m supporting the Native American industry,” she said.

The grand opening of the Eagle Feather Trading Post will happen in about a month.