As the publisher of The Cordova Times, I am reflecting this month on the indelible marks that the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill left on my life, Cordova, and our region. In Cordova, commercial fishing and subsistence isn’t just a livelihood — it’s a way of life. It’s a place where captains offer the daily news with their coffee, and the wisdom of elders is revered. From where I sit, the “Alaskan Spirit” that is so often referred to is alive and well in Prince William Sound.
This past Sunday marked the 35th anniversary of the spill, and in some ways it’s hard to believe. Our region was put to the test on that fateful day in 1989, when the Exxon Valdez tanker ran aground. My first classrooms, the F/V Commander and the F/V Miss Emily, taught me about the value of hard work and honesty — principles that were tested in the decades that followed the spill. Principles that my husband and I are now striving to raise our children up to know with our own fishing operation.
As a child raised in the years after the spill, I watched as my parents and neighbors, all proud fishermen and entrepreneurs, faced the gargantuan task of defending everything they knew and stood for. And as the youngest Alaskans growing up in Prince William Sound at that time, we inherited a legacy of resilience.
As fate would have it, I was working in the U.S. Senate and was walking in the halls of the Capitol building in 2008 when the news came down from the Supreme Court. I felt the sting of injustice when the Supreme Court slashed the punitive damages. The final decision was a bitter pill for thousands of plaintiffs who had waited two decades. This was a defining moment that galvanized my commitment to justice and advocacy.
To reflect on this anniversary not so much as the publisher of this paper, but as a Cordovan, I can say that the spill instilled in me a determination to fight and advocate, and it shaped much of my life as I know it. Growing up after the spill is the reason I went to work in D.C., the reason I went to law school, and so much more. The disappointment of the Supreme Court’s decision still echoes, but it has fortified my resolve to stand by the hard-working Americans and Alaskans, like my father and mother who raised us to work hard and to be part of the solution. I know that so many of you in the region have shared this same resolve.
The Cordova Times stands as a testament to the power of local media — a platform that not only tells stories but also raises awareness and asks for accountability. The Cordova Times was reporting news from the region for 75 years before the spill and has continued to do so since. The Exxon Valdez Oil Spill is a living part of our history. Through The Cordova Times, we’ll continue to document and share that living history. That is the commitment of this newspaper and always has been for the 110 years that it has existed, long before my time.
As we all reflect this time of year on an event that changed so many lives, I wish to express my gratitude for the incredible commitment to one another that the people of the Prince William Sound region have demonstrated, always. That commitment was a familiar feeling that I came to count on growing up. It is something that imprints upon young people and is carried with them forever. And that is a legacy in itself worth leaving behind.
Rachel Kallander was raised in a commercial fishing family in Cordova and graduated from CHS. Rachel is the owner and impact strategist at Kallander & Associates, a firm specializing in advocacy and building movements; she is the owner and publisher of The Cordova Times; and she’s the founder and CEO of Arctic Encounter – the largest Arctic policy and business event in North America with international partnerships worldwide. Rachel also serves as the Honorary Consul of Iceland to Alaska. She lives with her husband, Casey Pape, and two toddlers in Anchorage and spends as much time as possible with family in Cordova and on Hinchinbrook Island.
This story was originally published in the March 29 issue of The Cordova Times.
