Tatitlek: From Ancestral Homelands to Modern Challenges
The Native Village of Tatitlek is situated in northeastern Prince William Sound, approximately 30 miles south of Valdez and 40 miles northwest of Cordova, along the eastern shore of the Tatitlek Narrows. The name Tatitlek, derived from the Sugt’stun language, translates to “windy place.”
The village’s origins extend back many centuries, with ancestral ties to multiple settlement sites in the region prior to its present-day location. In 1897, the arrival of two mining prospectors and the subsequent filing of a mining patent with the U.S. government prompted the relocation of residents to the current village site.
Following the decline of mining activity in the early 20th century, a fish cannery was established in nearby Ellamar, offering a key source of employment for Tatitlek residents until a devastating fire in the 1960s brought operations to a halt.
In 1989, the Exxon Valdez oil tanker ran aground on Bligh Reef, just two miles from Tatitlek, releasing approximately 11 million gallons of crude oil into the pristine waters of Prince William Sound. The spill caused widespread devastation to marine ecosystems—impacting seabirds, shellfish, and fish populations—and severely disrupted commercial fishing. These environmental losses significantly reduced the village’s traditional subsistence practices of hunting and fishing, with effects that are still felt today.
