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About the Eyak Preservation CouncilMissionThe Eyak Preservation Council works to protect the inherent rights of culture, heritage, language, and ancestral lands needed to preserve the Eyak Tribes' continued existence as an independently recognized Alaska tribal nation. HistoryThe Eyak Preservation Council (EPC) was founded in 1989 following the Exxon Valdez oil spill in Prince William Sound, Alaska. As the tanker hemorrhaged 30 million gallons of crude oil into Prince William Sound, spreading disaster everywhere, people stood in shock, some said there was nothing to be done. Corporate representatives talked of the inevitable price of development. But the people of the Sound began to rally, finding hope, courage, and strength. Their collective voices grew. The fisherman united with Natives and environmentalists to convert tragedy into cutting edge conservation, preserving nearly 700,000 acres of endangered wild salmon habitat. Since that time, we have continued to produce tangible and cutting edge results in the Copper River watershed. Today, EPC is recognized as the leading Native founded and led conservation organization in the region. The Eyak NationThe Eyak Nation was the last Native American tribe to be re-recognized by European Americans in 1930. Honorary Eyak Chief Marie Smith Jones, 87 years old, is the last full-blooded Native speaker of the Eyak language. The Eyak ancestral homeland runs along 300 miles of the Gulf of Alaska from Prince William Sound, near the fishing village of Cordova, east across the Copper River Delta to the town now known as Yakutat. GoalThe goal of the Eyak Preservation Council can stated simply as wild Copper River salmon habitat protection and cultural preservation. By protecting and preserving wild Copper River salmon habitat, we will protect and preserve the Eyak Nation and the Copper River watershed. Founder: Dune Lankard, Time Magazine Hero of the PlanetDune Lankard, Native Athabaskan Eyak of the Eagle Clan from the Copper River Delta/Prince William Sound, Alaska, was selected by Time magazine as one of its "Heroes of the Planet" for his environmental and cultural activism work. He is Founder of the Eyak Preservation Council, founder of the NATIVE Conservancy Land Trust, co-creator of the FIRE Fund, an endowment to help Indigenous Nation's around the world in their struggle to defend their human rights and homelands from excessive development, and co-founder and member of the RED OIL Network (Resisting Environmental Degradation of Indigenous Lands). Dune is a member of the Eyak Traditional Elders Council (ETEC) and an advisory board member of Seva Foundation. Dune was a commercial fisherman in his home waters of Prince William Sound, Alaska until March 24, 1989 when the Exxon Valdez spilled over 11 million gallons of oil into the Sound. On that day, Dune became an activist, dedicating his life to protection of human rights and the environment. His accomplishments and activities include:
Dune is a frequent speaker before groups such as:
Media interviews and coverage include:
Speaking topics include social and environmental issues such as Indigenous rights, why conservation based economies are the future, social entrepreneurship, fishery issues (wild salmon vs. hatcheries and farming), sustainability, subsistence culture and the unresolved long-term impact of the Exxon Valdez oil spill.
BoardDune Lankard (Eyak, Eagle Clan) Pam Smith (Eyak, Eagle Clan) Carol Hoover (European-American Ally) Carol Kalafatik (Quechua-Spanish-Croatian) Susanna Colloredo (European-American Ally) Funding PartnersThe Eyak Preservation Council (EPC) received its IRS 501 c(3) status in 2001. We receive funding from individuals and foundations. EPC’s foundation funders include:
Administration for Native Americans |
