Cordova (Eyak) 

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Rooted in Place: The Legacy of the Eyak People

The Native Village of Eyak (NVE) is a federally recognized, self-governing Tribe based in Cordova, Alaska. Representing a sovereign union of Alaska Native peoples—including Eyak, Chugach Region, Tlingit, and Athabaskan descendants—NVE is committed to cultural preservation, environmental stewardship, and the well-being of its members. 

For over 10,000 years, the Eyak people have lived in their ancestral homelands, which span Prince William Sound, the Copper River Delta, and parts of the Gulf of Alaska. Rich in natural resources, especially salmon, the region supported vibrant subsistence traditions and enabled the Eyak to serve as key intermediaries in Indigenous trade networks. 

In the early 1900s, as Cordova grew around resource extraction and rail development, the last traditional Eyak village was absorbed into the expanding city. Despite this, the Eyak people remained rooted in place, and in 1980, NVE was formally recognized as a Tribe, building on the foundational rights granted under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act of 1971. 

The 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill devastated traditional subsistence resources, sparking NVE’s long-standing commitment to environmental protection. This includes leadership in oil spill response through the development of the Shepard Point Oil Spill Response Facility. 

Although the last fluent Eyak language speaker passed away in 2008, NVE actively supports revitalization efforts for both Eyak and Sugpiaq/Alutiiq languages and cultural practices. 

Today, the Native Village of Eyak is a vibrant and forward-looking tribal government, guided by a mission of self-determination, cultural renewal, environmental responsibility, and service to its members and homelands. 

Learn more about Eyak Learn more about Eyak corporation

Quick Facts

  • Population: 2,187
  • Alutiiq Name: Igya’aq
  • Location: Near the mouth of the Copper River, at the head of Orca Inlet on the east side of Prince William Sound 
  • Key Economic Industries:  Commercial fishing
  • Village Corporation: Eyak Corporation
  • Tribe: Native Village of Eyak
  • Interesting Fact: Alaska’s first oil field with a commercially viable quantity was discovered in nearby Katalla in 1902. Cordova is also home to the Ilanka Cultural Center which exhibits artifacts and shares the history of the Prince William Sound and Copper River Delta. Historically, Cordova was a melting pot and place of exchange between the Athabaskan, Tlingit and Chugach natives. 
  • Fishing has sustained the Chugach people for centuries.
  • A beautiful sunset across the bay from the Cordova harbor.
  • The Ikumat Dancers proudly carry on the heritage and traditions of the Eyak, the Chugach people who have lived in and around Cordova for thousands of years.
  • The Cordova harbor.
  • The Chugach people have lived off of the land and sea for centuries, and the many of our people who live in Cordova continue this tradition in the commercial fishing industry.
  • The Ikumat Dancers taking part in the annual Cordova Sobriety Celebation.