The U.S. Senate has unanimously approved the nomination of Charles “Chuck” Sams III as National Park Service director. The appointment makes him the first Native American to lead the agency. Some conservationists are hailing Sams’ confirmation as a commitment to fair partnerships with tribes, the early stewards of the land.
Sams is Cayuse and Walla Walla. He lives on the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation in Oregon. There, he gained a reputation for being unflappable. He has worked in state and tribal governments and the nonprofit natural resource and conservation management fields for over 25 years.
“He is known for being steady at the helm and taking challenges in stride,” says Bobbie Conner, director of the Tamastslikt Cultural Institute on the 270-square-mile reservation.
Today, Sams is a member of the Northwest Power and Conservation Council, appointed by Oregon Governor Kate Brown. He has held several positions with the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, the Indian Country Conservancy, and other organizations.
During confirmation hearings, Sams noted his experience with nonprofit work, including facilitating land transfers and working with volunteers on conservation and invasive species management.
“I am deeply honored,” Sams says of the appointment. “I am also very deeply appreciative of the support, guidance, and counsel of my tribal elders and friends throughout my professional career.”
The National Park Service is part of the Interior Department. U.S. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, America’s first Native American Cabinet secretary, says Sams brings diverse experience to the job.
Kat Brigham, chair of the board of trustees of the Confederated Tribes, recalled Sams in the Columbia River as a young man. He was fishing for salmon while standing on a scaffold and using a net, according to tradition.
“It’s very exciting that we have a tribal member who’s first in history to be in charge of our National Park Service,” Brigham says. “He knows how important our land is. He knows that we need to protect our land, not only for today, but for our children’s children.”
Oregon Senator Ron Wyden describes Sams as a “role model in the stewardship of American land and waters, wildlife, and history.”
God takes stewardship seriously. He made Adam and Eve stewards of a beautiful garden. (Genesis 2:15) But their rebellion against the Creator caused thorns and weeds to grow. (Genesis 3:18) Worse yet, humans lost their righteousness before God (1 Corinthians 15:22) and brought a curse upon the whole Earth. (Genesis 3:16-19) Taking care of the God’s good gifts is a worthy endeavor—so long as the Creator is worshipped instead of the creation! (Romans 1:25)
Sams’ confirmation means Congress and parkgoers will have a steady, experienced leader to rely on in the years ahead, Wyden says.
The National Park Service oversees more than 131,000 square miles of parks, monuments, battlefields, and other landmarks. It employs about 20,000 people in permanent, temporary, and seasonal jobs, according to its website.
Joel Dunn, president and CEO of the Maryland-based Chesapeake Conservancy, celebrates the news. He points to the forced migration of indigenous peoples that led to the creation of America’s public lands, including national parks. “As our country works to address those past tragedies,” he says, “it is appropriate that the leadership of the National Park Service and the Department of the Interior reflect a new direction and a commitment to equitable partnership with the Indigenous peoples of the United States.”
Sams says it is important to work with Native Americans on traditional ecological knowledge “based on 10,000-plus years of management of those spaces to ensure that they’ll be here for future generations to enjoy.”
(The Grand Canyon National Park is covered in morning sunlight as seen from a helicopter near Tusayan, Arizona. AP/Julie Jacobson)
1st Comment!!!!!!
I'm glad! :)
First Comment
That is a great first step towards making Native Americans feel more at home. In all fairness, reparations should not be paid to them, but we should make them feel more comfortable. They are mostly stuck on reservations; is that fair to them? Even though we can't give the country back to the Native Americans, we can still learn to live well side by side with them like we're trying to doing with our African American brothers.
@Caroline
You sneaky commenter!
@Caroline
How dare you! LOL
5th comment
I agree with Ranen. I makes me sad to think how most of those first people who came here drove the Indians, even the peaceful ones, out. It was their country first. I know some people 'paid' for it, but it was still not a fair trade. I think Native Americans and their old customs are really intriguing.
I have been to the Grand Canyon! It was so awesome!!!!! I didn't get to go in a helicopter (kinda expensive) but did see it at both sunset and sunrise, with a full moon! It was awesome!
@Riley D
Yeah, the Grand Canyon is gorgeous. I went there during the day, and, though it would have been awesome to see it at sunrise or sunset, it still was really pretty. I wanted to hike down at least a little way, but my parents weren't too keen on doing that.
And about the article, I
And about the article, I think that this is a good step to take. It is awful how they were driven out of their homes, and, though we can't go back in time to right those wrongs, we can at least try to move forward in our relationship with them.
@Ranen
I totally agree with you!!!!!
Native Americans do not have fair lives. They are born on land that is not their own. This means that if they wanted to start a business, they couldn't take out a loan because they don't own anything! This problem leads to extreme poverty in Native American reservations, along with prevalent drunkenness, dishonesty, and gambling. (Just for the record, I don't think gambling is a sin, but it's definitely not good for people who have no money.) We should give Native Americans more chances to make their own way in life. As the saying goes, "If you give a man a fish, you'll feed him for a day, but if you teach a man to fish, you'll feed him for life."
Hold up, something's not right.
I just realized that they never put out an article about the Kyle Rittenhouse verdict. What the heck!
Asher E
I was just about to comment on that!!!!!!!!!
What is going on????????
That's one of the most important things going on in our country right now and they picked the selling of a copy of the constitution. REALLY???
I'm kind of scared for WorldTeen's values right now.
@Addie L
They're probably scared that the comments would turn into a crap show as they did with the Chauvin trial, but they should still report the things that are actually important.
Over-reaction? Maybe
But still.
If WorldTeen doesn't at least give a filtered version of what happened, I will be forced to hold them in my mind as an insufficient news source and a site scared of seeming conservative. Presenting the news is not conservative. Isn't the motto "Know what's real" or whatever?
If you don't know about the Rittenhouse trial, let me know and I will post a (probably very long) comment about it, trying to remain partisan. Ah, who am I kidding. I'm going to tell you exactly how I feel about it. I'll leave the lying and injustice to the Left.
@Asher E
Yeah.
If they really care about the comments, (which they probably do) they should just keep a really sharp eye on that particular article or even block comments on that article altogether! Not that that would stop people from being jerks, but you win some you lose some.
@Addie L
I totally agree, they are sliding on a very slippery slope. They shouldn't be afraid to be conservative, they're supposed to be a Christian company which makes them inherently conservative.
Also, if they care about the comments but don't want to pay somebody to watch them all the time they could just put a report option on the comments. If someone is violating the rules of the site we could report them and an employee could review the reports. There would have to be a penalty for false reports though.
It might be a good idea to post a comment talking about the case. If WorldTEEN won't report the news we'll just have to do it ourselves.
Note on one of my above comments
When I said I would "leave the lying and injustice to the Left", I was not implying that being partisan is to lie or to ignore justice. I was attempting to claim that my opinion will actually probably clear up the case instead of just the facts. (I was also not claiming that lying and injustice only happens on the Left. It just mostly does in this case) For the record, I am neither Republican nor Democrat, but something wildly different from both of those. My political position relies on the Constitution and the Word of God and I am not a Constitutionalist.
If somehow you have not heard of Kyle Rittenhouse, I will present the facts as they are and then AFTERWARDS give my opinion
@Asher E
Inherently conservative is a dangerous term to use, man. ;)
A report button is a good idea.
I'm up for doing that!
Although, the first rule of the comments section kinda gets in the way...
@Addie L
How is inherently conservative dangerous? Conservative does not mean republican, it means that we are trying to conserve our values.
@Asher E
Well, I think there are those out there who identify with the Liberal party who are Christian. And I hesitate to say that! But I feel like I have to believe that, because I have known a person who lived a Christian life and yet voted for Clinton in 2016. I just think that making general statements like that should be avoided. You are generally right, but "inherent" is a very general word, and we need to be as pure of fallacies as possible so as to have less problems for them to point out.
@Addie L
That is true, but from what I can tell, most Christians who identify as liberal either don't pay much attention and just watch CNN or don't believe that everything the Bible says is true. There are multiple mainstream liberal views that directly contradict the bible. Including their views on abortion and homosexuality.
So while there may be some true Christians who identify with the liberal party it is usually because they are uninformed.
@Asher E
Yes. You're right. Or they aren't thinking through it. Or they're voting on tradition. Or they're choosing a lesser evil. Or they only accept parts of the Liberal party's policies. The parts that don't involve homosexuality, abortion, and other obviously anti-Christian problems. In which case they wouldn't be seen as Liberal by Liberals, but would identify as Liberal. It's really hard to tell.
^hah
And even though I agreed with you, I'm not conceding to the "inherent" earlier. ;)
Can you post the links to the
Can you post the links to the big debates please?
@Morgan
Are you referring to debates we've had in the past, or are you asking us to, when we do have a debate, post the link?
I know a lady who is the
I know a lady who is the sweetest Christian you will ever meet. Sadly, she has been "drinking the Kool Aid". Many people don't realize what is truly going on in our country today. Many people get their information from the main stream media and don't realize that they are being slowly indoctrinated or lied to. They believe what the media tells them and don't try to explore multiple news sources to form an opinion that truly represents their Christian beliefs. I try my best to explore multiple sources so I can form a justified opinion,
Some of the big debates in
Some of the big debates in the past please. Thanks
@Morgan
I'll try to find a couple. I don't really remember where all of them are though! XD
Totally get it, I'll try to
Totally get it, I'll try to look for some. I also have a friend who is on World Teen who I can ask for some.
@Morgan
https://teen.wng.org/node/6928
https://teen.wng.org/node/6715
I'll see if I can find more later.
@Morgan H
https://teen.wng.org/node/6719
https://teen.wng.org/node/6804
These are the two biggest ones that I can remember.
Thanks!
Thanks!
@Morgan H
Here are some more
https://teen.wng.org/node/6457
https://teen.wng.org/node/6414
https://teen.wng.org/node/6560
@ Asher and Addie
I know they had a segment about it on World Watch a few days ago
@Above
It's actually on their youtube page
@Amelia B
I suppose that's better than nothing. There still should have been an article though.
@Asher
Yeah
@Addie L
I'm not sure what the trial thing is...
@Addie L
I'm not sure what the trial thing is...
@Addie L
I'm not sure what the trial thing is...
@Addie L
I'm not sure what the trial thing is...
Oops.
Oops.
@Kiara
*ahem*
About 14 months ago, a young man of 17 named Kyle Rittenhouse was involved in a terrible situation.
Kyle lives in Antioch, Illinois with his mom. Antioch is only about ten minutes away from Kenosha, Wisconsin, where Kyle worked and his dad lives. There had been a lot of protesting going on in Kenosha. Businesses were being vandalized, people were being hurt, and the police weren't doing much about it. One day, Kyle was cleaning graffiti off of some local buildings, when his friend, Dominic Black, invited him to come with him to help defend a car dealership from protesters.
That night, Kyle and some other guys were standing around outside the car dealership as security. Kyle had a med kit and had helped some people earlier. He and another guy were alerted to someone trying to set a dumpster on fire. Kyle, with his companion, an AR-15, and a fire extinguisher, went over to put out the fire. They succeeded in doing so, but saw another dumpster on fire by a gas station. Kyle went to put it out.
At the gas station was confirmed child molester, Joseph Rosenbaum. This man targeted Kyle as he was going over to the dumpster. He took his shirt off and wrapped it around his face. A man with a gun began to approach Kyle, and Kyle began to run away from him. At this point, Rosenbaum started to chase Kyle. He threw something at Kyle at which point Kyle pointed his gun at him. Rosenbaum cam towards Kyle, who ran from him, but Kyle faced a group of cars with some people around them, and turned around, pointing his gun at Rosenbaum again. Rosenbaum lunged for Kyle's gun, touching (or almost touching) the barrel. Kyle shot him 4 times in 3/4 second. Rosenbaum died almost immediately.
Kyle called his friend, telling him that he had just had to shoot a guy and asking him what to do. His friend told him to go to the police station. Kyle began to walk toward the police. (We know all this because there was a reporter nearby who recorded the whole thing and was later asked to witness in court.) As Kyle was heading for the police, people around him started yelling things like, "Get the kid!" "Kill him!".
As this was happening, a man named Gage Grosskreutz saw Kyle running away from the mob. He grabbed his gun and went over to Kyle, asking him what happened. (Grosskreutz was also livestreaming on his phone) Kyle (in shock) said that he was going to find the cops. Someone came up behind Kyle and hit him in the head with a rock. Kyle fell on the ground, and a man (now known by the media as "Jumpkick Man", literally jumpkicked Kyle in the face. Kyle shot at him twice, but missed. Jumpkick Man ran off and was never heard from again.
Meanwhile, a guy named Anthony Huber was hitting Kyle in the head with a skateboard. Kyle dropped his gun, which was attached to him by a strap, and Huber grabbed the barrel and brought it to his chest. Kyle shot once, and Huber staggered away and died. Grosskreutz had his gun out and was still livestreaming. He pointed his gun at Kyle while Kyle was still on the ground. Kyle pointed his gun at Grosskreutz, who stepped back and put his hands up. Kyle lowered his gun, and as he was getting up, Grosskreutz pointed his gun at Kyle again, apparently to kill him. Kyle shot Grosskreutz once in the arm. This was Kyle's last shot. The amount of time from the first shot to the last shot was about 4 minutes.
Kyle went over to the cops standing nearby with his hands up, telling them he had just shot some people. The cops told him to get out of there and he left.
Fast forward 14 months, through his infamy being spread throughout social media as a white supremacist manhunter, his willing arrest and time in jail, and through people all over America labeling him a murderer.
Kyle was put on trial by the state of Wisconsin. His defending attorney was a man named Richards. The prosecutor was a man named Binger. The judge was Justice Bruce Schroeder.
Long story short, Kyle was proven innocent of all charges.
*Now begins my opinion* A lot happened in the courtroom, but the most important thing (I think) is that 1st- Justice was done. and 2nd- Self-defense was protected.
All of the events of that night were recorded from many different angles, and the video is (according to my dad, a gun owner and self-defense supporter) an example of a textbook self-defense case. Justice Schroeder, Richards, and Kyle were all really great in the trial, and Binger has been proven to be a man with no integrity whatsoever and someone who, according to the words of Justice Schroeder, should be debarred.
YouTube is flooded with videos on this trial, but I would be careful and ask your parents first, because there are some bad words (and of course violence) in the proof videos. Kyle did not break the law at all. Perhaps he shouldn't have been out there at night, but that was his choice and not against the law.
*phew* Are there any questions?
(80
Wow. That's long.
@Addie L
Don't forget about how Binger picked up Kyle's AR-15 during his closing arguments and pointed it at the jury with his finger on the trigger. That guy is shockingly stupid.
@Asher E
My bad. That was ridiculous. No trigger control. |:(
Or the part where Justice Schroeder bashes him FOR being shockingly stupid! His accent is awesome. XD
Do you watch any Viva Frei? My dad does and he showed me a video where they were talking about the case and they explained a lot of courtroom rules that Binger either bent or disregarded.
^
"They" as in Viva Frei and Robert Barnes.
@Addie L
I do not watch them.
@Asher E
They mainly talk about law because they're both lawyers, so I was only interested in them during this case and the Chauvin case.
@Addie L
Wow. Thanks!
@Addie L
That's cool, I'll have to check them out next time I'm following a big case. Maybe the abortion case that's going to the supreme court.
@Addie
Thanks for the fill in! I hadn't even HEARD about this. I agree that WORLDteen should have put it in. I do feel that sometimes they put up articles that may be INTERESTING to the kids here, but not always the most important one and informative ones that maybe should be put up instead. And I agree that they did well in letting him off. He was only shooting in self defense.
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