Charles Sams

Charles Sams

Director of Indigenous Programs
Yale Center for Environmental Justice
Charles “Chuck” F. Sams III — a national leader in environmental stewardship, tribal a national leader in environmental stewardship, tribal sovereignty, and public service — is joining the Yale Center for Environmental Justice as its inaugural director of Indigenous Programs. Sams brings over 30 years of leadership experience to his role at the Yale Center for Environmental Justice. Most recently, he made history as the First Native American to serve as Director of the National Park Service, where he championed initiatives to expand equitable access to public lands, deepen and expand tribal co-management, and strengthen climate resilience across the country’s most treasured landscapes. 
 
A U.S. Navy veteran, Sams served honorably as an intelligence specialist, laying the groundwork
for a foundation of leadership and strategic insight that has informed his work across multiple
sectors. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a focus on
Management, Communications, and Leadership from Concordia University and a Master of
Legal Studies in Indigenous Peoples Law from the University of Oklahoma College of Law.
Chuck holds several personal and professional honors, including the U.S. President’s Service
Medal for work in the Environmental Field from the Points of Light Foundation, the Walter T.
Cox Award from Clemson University’s Institute for Parks, and honorary doctorates in Humane Letters from Portland State University and Whitman College.
 
An enrolled member of the Cayuse and Walla Walla of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, Sams has long worked to advance tribal sovereignty, natural resource management, education, and cultural revitalization. His deep commitment to environmental justice and community-driven governance reflects the core mission of YCEJ: to work alongside frontline communities to build a just and sustainable future.
 

People and Partners

Yale Center for Environmental Justice
Yale School of the Environment
Kroon Hall
195 Prospect Street
New Haven, CT 06511

Email: ycej@yale.edu