Amy Bowers-Cordalis is a fisherwoman, attorney, mother, and member of the Yurok Tribe. She was formerly general counsel of the Yurok Tribe and a staff attorney at the Native American Rights Fund.
Amy’s family is from the village of Requa at the mouth of the Klamath River in Northern California. Since colonization, every generation of Amy’s family has fought for Yurok Rights. Her family’s Supreme Court case, Mattz v. Arnett, reaffirmed the status of the Yurok Reservation as Indian country, laying the foundation for the exercise of the Tribe’s sovereignty and the enjoyment of its federally reserved water and fishing rights. Amy continues her family legacy by focusing her work on Klamath River restoration, including dam removal, water rights, and fisheries issues.