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- By Native News Online Staff
Corinne Sams, a Member at Large of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR) Board of Trustees, has been honored with the 2024 Ecotrust Indigenous Leadership Award.
“I work alongside and read about so many deserving Indigenous leaders and community members who are doing incredible work protecting sovereignty, culture, lands, first foods, water, economics, and so much more across Alaska, California, Canada, Oregon, and Washington,” Sams said in a press release. “This acknowledgment is absolutely something that makes my heart big, and I will forever be grateful for it.”
Recognized for her tireless work in protecting Indigenous rights, culture, and natural resources, Sams has long been a light of leadership within her tribe and beyond.
As a member of the CTUIR Board, Sams has contributed to key initiatives like restoring native fish, water conservation, and upholding treaty rights. She also chairs the Fish & Wildlife Commission and sits on the Law & Order Commission, helping drive legislation that protects tribal interests in various sectors, from agriculture to education.
One of Sams’s standout contributions to her community has been her work with youth, particularly young women. In 2023, she led a group of students to Willamette Falls, where they learned about the cultural importance of lamprey, a species integral to the region’s ecosystem and to tribal traditions.
As part of her work with the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission (CRITFC), Sams led the way in the 2024 CRITFC Salmon Camp, a program designed to teach students from the CTUIR, Warm Springs Tribes, Yakama Nation, and Nez Perce Tribe about fisheries management, environmental stewardship, and the cultural significance of salmon.
Sams’ leadership also extended to a major milestone in 2023 when the Biden Administration signed the Resilient Columbia Basin Agreement (RCBA).
This achievement ensures that the U.S. government will work alongside the Six Sovereigns, a coalition of CRITFC tribes and the states of Washington and Oregon, to restore salmon and native fish to the Columbia Basin.
Sams played a key role in forging this partnership and advocating for tribal treaty obligations while addressing broader challenges related to climate and energy.
“We are proud to recognize Corinne Sams for her dedication to tribal youth, education, and cultural continuity,” Kara Briggs, Ecotrust Tribal Lands & Waters vice president said in a press release. “These commitments, along with her passion for protecting and defending tribal rights, were key components for her selection as one of Ecotrust’s 2024 Indigenous Leadership Award recipients.”
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