Founder

Dune Lankard, an Eyak Athabaskan of the Eagle Clan from the Copper River Delta, is from a fishing family and grew up in Cordova, Alaska. He was a commercial fisherman in Prince William Sound until March 24, 1989 when the Exxon Valdez spilled more than 30 million gallons of oil into the Sound. On that day, he became an activist and social entrepreneur, dedicating his life to protection of human rights and the environment. For his work, he was selected by Time magazine as one of its "Heroes of the Planet." He is a co-founder and member of the REDOIL Network (Resisting Environmental Degradation of Indigenous Lands), a member of the Eyak Traditional Elders Council, founder of the Eyak Preservation Council, and founder of the Native Conservancy Land Trust. Dune’s Eyak name is Jamachakih, which translates: Little Bird that screams really loud and won't shut up.

Review a couple of published essays of Dune’s: Fordham Environmental Law Journal (2000): Sacred Places: Indian Rights After the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill and Alaska Native Ways: What our Elders Taught Us.

He speaks on a variety of topics, including indigenous rights, activism, why conservation based economies are the future, and the lessons and unresolved long-term impacts of the Exxon Valdez disaster.

On a personal note, Dune loves basketball and all of his friend’s know he cooks up the best razor clams you’ve ever had.