Dr. Riki Ott, a commercial salmon "fisherma'am," experienced firsthand the devastating effects from the Exxon Valdez oil spill-and chose to do something about it. She retired from fishing and founded three nonprofit organizations to deal with the lingering harm and social consequences of our oil dependency. Her work is focused on offering practical approaches to restoring democracy by rebuilding community through place-based organizing around human rights and values. She has authored three books on her experiences, and lives in Cordova, Alaska.