Dune Lankard 
Alaskan Native environmental activist and sustainable fishing entrepreneur 

The CSU, Chico student who introduces Dune Lankard for this presentation describes him as “one of those people that a young, environmentally-conscious student dreams of becoming.” Lankard is an Athabaskan Eyak Indian from the Copper River Delta in Alaska. He was a commercial fisherman in Prince William Sound until 1989, when the Exxon Valdez tanker spilled more than 11 million gallons of oil into the sound. On that day he became an activist, focused on the protection of the environment and the rights of Native peoples. Since then, Lankard has started 12 non-profit organizations. He has worked to promote sustainable fishing and, to that end, formed the Copper River Wild Salmon Company. This presentation features breath-taking photos of his native land and water, combined with actions and strategies he and other activists use to protect it. In 1999, Lankard was selected by Time magazine as one of its “Heroes of the Planet.” 

Recorded: March 27, 2015