#walla walla

One of my favorite songs by The Offspring!

"Walla Walla", The Offspring at Woodstock 1999

July 23, 1999

Apologies for the radio silence; I've been at the Oregon Outdoor Recreation Summit since Wednesday. It's been an incredible experience once again, with some superb programming, cool exhibitors, and getting to rub elbows with all sorts of amazing people in a wide variety of roles in the outdoor recreation arena (we miss our federal partners this year!) They've also fed us exceptionally well--that was worth the price of admission alone.

One of yesterday's highlights (among many) was an incredible talk by Charles Sams--yes, the director of the US National Parks System in the last administration. He's also from the Umatilla Reservation, which is just up the mountain pass from where we are in Pendleton. After his career in the Navy as an intelligence specialist, he put a lot of time into both indigenous and conservation efforts in the Pacific Northwest. And that's before he became the NPS director in 2021.

First of all, he's a really engaging speaker, weaving in personal stories with current events. He also, out of everyone in the room, almost certainly has the best firsthand understanding of the intricacies of the federal government, to include the military and the Department of the Interior. A lot of discussions during this summit, both formal and informal, concerned the many negative ways the current administration has affected public and private sectors in the outdoor recreation industry and beyond, and Sams didn't shy away from acknowledging that (though he was characteristically diplomatic.)

I appreciated how he wove in his experience as a Cayuse and Walla Walla man growing up within the Umatilla Reservation community. He explained the importance his community places on maintaining longtime relationships with the land and its denizens through responsible stewardship and how that informed his professional decisions over the years.

But what I will take with me most is his hope and optimism that things can turn around. There are so many people who are working to protect our public lands, sensitive species, and public access. During questions I asked him the same thing we were all asked in a previous session--what place brings him joy, especially when things get difficult. He told us about his connection to particular areas of the reservation and his roots there, and how that restores him just by being there.

random shiny buttons again yaaaayyyaa

glass animals (zaba) + pgr

i found the font ppl use in most buttons so i remade the lamia button and made a camu one

i yap a little too much below the cut,, its just me talking theres nothing important down there 😓