b"That system, which has proven effective forrecovering minors across the country, could More About Sam Schimmeland should be used to protect and serveAI/AN communities.This will not result in Sam is St. Lawrence Island Siberian Yupik and100% recovery of everyone who goes Kenaitze Indian from Kenai, Alaska. From as farmissing, Sam recognizes, but it will improve back as he can remember, he has kept lifethe conditions and recovery rates AI/AN lessons front and center. Listen to your elders,listen to your people, listen to stories told tomurder and disappearance rates are four you. Sam uses Native Knowledge to influencetimes the national average. Its time we start and direct local as well as national communityto address the issue in new and effective efforts to better the lives of Alaska Natives andways.American Indians. He grew up berry picking,subsistence hunting, and fishing. He was a 2017When asked whats comes next, Sam Center for Native American Youth Champion forhighlighted that the workhis work, in Change. In 2018, he was appointed by thecollaboration with Painter, alongside all Governor of Alaska to serve on the State ofsupporters - does not stop here. Whats next Alaska's Climate Action Leadership Team, whereis a bifurcated but still cohesive effort to he helped craft the state's policy on climatepursueadditional support for the proposal change. In 2019, the National Congress ofAmerican Indians recognized him with the Youthand to lobby specific members of Congress Leadership Award. In 2020, he was awardedto try to get them to introduce it. He the Alaska Federation of Natives Presidentscontinued, theres going to be more work Youth Leadership Award. In 2021, Sam launchedtrying to convince [necessary] parties why Operation Fish Drop, a program which sought tothis is a program that will work. Additional give urban Native populations access tosupport behind the proposal will be critical in traditional foods during the Covid-19 pandemic.making that happen. He is determined, Sam graduated from Stanford University inhopeful, and ready: Were going to work to 2022. He continues to be an invested membertry and get whatever needs to be doneof his community, supporting and often directingdone, in order to get this passed into law. positive change for Alaska Native and AmericanIndians. He spent his 1L summer Clerking for theAlaska Native Justice Center and is now in hisCurrently, there is an Amber Alert in Indian second year of Law School at Georgetowncountry effort funded by OJJDP that focuses University.on AI/AN missing children. You can accessmore information about that effort andrequest TTA at AMBER Alert in Indian Country| AMBER Alert (ojp.gov) Sam Schimmel can be contacted atsamueluschimmel@gmail.com and would loveto engage with others who care about thisissue. 24"