Bartolome de las Casas first went to the Americas in 1502. Sickened by the way the indigenous peoples were being treated by his fellow countrymen, he devoted the rest of his life trying to secure justice for them. The story of Bartolome is echoed today in the life of Don Samuel Ruiz, bishop of San Cristobal de las Casas, who has taken on the task of awakening concern for the exploited indigenous people of Chiapas.