Sam Schimmel is St. Lawrence Island Siberian Yupik and Kenaitze Indian from Kenai, Alaska. From as far back as he can remember, he has kept Native life lessons front and center: “Listen to your Elders, listen to your people, listen to stories told to you”. Sam uses Native knowledge to influence and direct local and national community efforts to better the lives of Alaska Native and American Indian people. He grew up berry picking, subsistence hunting and fishing. Sam currently co-chairs the Cook Inlet Tribal Fisheries with Debra Call. The group is comprised of all the Tikahtnu (Cook Inlet) Tribes and dedicated to ensuring Tribal access and management of Tikahtnu fisheries. Sam graduated from Stanford University in 2022 and is currently in his final year of law school at Georgetown University. He previously founded Operation Fish Drop and has served on the youth advisory boards and commissions of the Center for Native American Youth, Cook Inlet Tribal Council and National Congress of American Indians.
