The White House is nominating Native American Charles Sams III as director of the National Park Service.
Sams is an enrolled member of the Cayuse and Walla Walla Tribes. They’re part of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Reservation in Washington and Oregon.
If confirmed by the Senate, he will be the first Native American to serve as director of the National Park Service.
Sams has 25 years of experience working in tribal and state governments and the non-profit and conservation fields. He currently serves on the Northwest Power and Conservation Council, appointed by the governor of Oregon.