Eyak is an unpopulated community, a seasonal-use area, or its population has not been determined.
Consequently, there is no "complete" Community Profile.
The information below provides a brief overview of the community.
Community Overview
| Eyak is on the Copper River Highway, 5.5 miles southeast of the Cordova city center, between Eyak Lake and the Cordova airport. The area was annexed to the City of Cordova in 1992. Winter temperatures range from 17 to 28 °F; summer temperatures from 49 to 63 °F. Average annual precipitation includes 66 inches of rain and 80 inches of snowfall. |
Topographic
map of
Eyak
area
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Eyak was first reported in 1869 as "Hyacks" and then in 1880 as "Ihiak." In 1899, Lt. Comdr. Moser of the US Navy reported it as a cannery called "Odiak." The area is the home of the Eyak; over 47 sites have been identified as Eyak-occupied from Yakutat to the Copper River Delta. The Eyak lived between Chugach Eskimo, Alutiiq, and expanding Tlingit groups. Eyak is a distinct language, a branch of the Athabascan-Eyak-Tlingit language family. The Eyaks from Controller Bay, Cape Suckling, Cape Yakataga, and Yakutat Bay were Tlingitized by the 1880s. The remaining Eyak settled in the Cordova area, and, by 1900, there were only 60 remaining Eyak. Marie Smith Jones, the last native speaker of Eyak, as well as the last full-blooded Eyak, died in 2008. It is a federally-recognized Eyak Athabascan village located within the City of Cordova. Villagers are working together to protect their traditional lands along the Copper River Delta and to revive cultural traditions. Commercial fishing and subsistence activities sustain many residents.
Commercial fishing, fish processing, logging, and retail businesses in Cordova provide employment. Reductions in salmon prices have affected income. Cordova offers an airport, harbor, dock, and a state ferry landing.
Contact Information
Regional Organizations
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