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Fifty Miles from Tomorrow: A Memoir of Alaska and the Real People |  | Author: William L. Iggiagruk Hensley
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
List Price: $24.00
Buy New: $12.40
as of 11/23/2009 20:05 CST details
You Save: $11.60 (48%)
New (28) Used (13) Collectible (1) from $12.39
Seller: critic_l
Rating:  21 reviews
Sales Rank: 48262
Media: Hardcover
Edition: 1
Pages: 272
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.9
Dimensions (in): 8.1 x 5.6 x 1.2
ISBN: 0374154848
Dewey Decimal Number: 979.8049712
EAN: 9780374154844
ASIN: 0374154848
Publication Date: December 23, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
Nunavut tigummiun! Hold on to the land! It was just fifty years ago that the territory of Alaska officially became the state of Alaska. But no matter who has staked their claim to the land, it has always had a way of enveloping souls in its vast, icy embrace. For William L. Iggiagruk Hensley, Alaska has been his home, his identity, and his cause. Born on the shores of Kotzebue Sound, twenty-nine miles north of the Arctic Circle, he was raised to live the traditional, seminomadic life that his Iñupiaq ancestors had lived for thousands of years. It was a life of cold and of constant effort, but Hensley’s people also reaped the bounty that nature provided. In Fifty Miles from Tomorrow, Hensley offers us the rare chance to immerse ourselves in a firsthand account of growing up Native Alaskan. There have been books written about Alaska, but they’ve been written by Outsiders, settlers. Hensley’s memoir of life on the tundra offers an entirely new perspective, and his stories are captivating, as is his account of his devotion to the Alaska Native land claims movement. As a young man, Hensley was sent by missionaries to the Lower Forty-eight so he could pursue an education. While studying there, he discovered that the land Native Alaskans had occupied and, to all intents and purposes, owned for millennia was being snatched away from them. Hensley decided to fight back. In 1971, after years of Hensley’s tireless lobbying, the United States government set aside 44 million acres and nearly $1 billion for use by Alaska’s native peoples. Unlike their relatives to the south, the Alaskan peoples would be able to take charge of their economic and political destiny. The landmark decision did not come overnight and was certainly not the making of any one person. But it was Hensley who gave voice to the cause and made it real. Fifty Miles from Tomorrow is not only the memoir of one man; it is also a fascinating testament to the resilience of the Alaskan ilitqusiat, the Alaskan spirit.
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Showing reviews 1-5 of 21
An Alaskan Inupiaq reviews the book about the Real People November 17, 2009
R. E. L. Tong (Anchorage, AK USA)
Mr. Hensley (Iggiagruk) has written a wonderful memoir about the Alaska Natives' coming into the modern age. My grandparents lived a total traditional lifestyle with almost no Western influence, and my parents were the 'in-between' generation, between the stone age and the space age. He describes this same situation in that of his family. Although I knew he was a great leader of our people, I did not realize Mr. Hensley had such a huge impact on our Alaska Native society in the form of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act. I am very grateful to him for his herculean efforts on behalf of all Alaska Natives to keep a small part of the land and resources that we held for millennia. I applaud him for his continuing efforts to remind Alaska Natives to keep hold of our diverse cultures, languages, and customs. He serves as an example to other Alaska Natives that we too can write our memoirs and be heard, that we too have remarkable stories to tell.
Very significant writing by a VERY significant author! September 30, 2009
Alaskan Reader (Anchorage, AK United States)
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
I had the honor of a chance meeting with William Hensley yesterday. I'm still on a cloud from the pleasure of the encounter. Meeting this man who is very accomplished himself and who has accomplished much for Alaskan Natives and all Alaskans, was truly an honor for me. I read the book immediately after release and now will reread it. This book is as good as it gets for any genre concerning Alaska. Thank you Mr. Hensley for your great contributions to our state and its entire population.
FIFTY MILES FROM TOMORROW June 24, 2009
Jack G. Hill (TENNESSEE)
2 out of 3 found this review helpful
WILLIE HENSLEY IS A FRIEND & FORMER CLASSMATE OF MINE. I AM A FULLBLOODED REDNECK EAST TENNESSEE HILLBILLY AND I BOUGHT THIS BOOK OUT OF CURIOSITY AND THE UNIQUE TITLE. I RECEIVED SO MUCH MORE. HE DID NOT MEAN TO BUT HE COVERED 400 YEARS OF U.S. HISTORY WITH HIS OWN SHORT LIFE STORY. IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN NATIVE AMERICANS, THE ENVIRONMENT, MISSIONARYS REACHING AN UNREACHED PEOPLE, GOVERNMENT AID ('WE ARE FROM THE GOVERNMENT AND WE ARE HERE TO HELP YOU'), TRAVEL OR JUST THE HISTORY OF ALASKA YOU MUST READ THIS BOOK. THIS IS NOT A TRAVEL GUIDE BUT IF YOU PLAN A TRIP TO ALASKA YOUR EXPERIENCE WILL BE AT LEAST TWICE AS MEANINGFUL IF YOU HAVE FIRST READ THIS BOOK. YOU WILL UNDERSTAND THE "WHYS" OF A WHOLE LOT OF WHAT YOU SEE. EVEN THOUGH I DO NOT EXPECT EVER TO BE ABLE TO GO THERE I CAN STILL APPRECIATE THE BATTLES THAT HAVE PLAYED OUT WITH WILLIE'S PEOPLE BECAUSE SOME OF THEM ARE PLAYING OUT IN MY EAST TENNESSEE MOUNTAINS AT PRESENT. A GOOD READ FOR ANY PERSON OR PEOPLE.
Native philosopher May 9, 2009
W. Jamison (Eagle River, Ak United States)
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
Not only did our book group select this for two sessions but during one of our session WH joined us for a great discussion. By far this book was my favorite this year in that I learned more about native issues from Willie than I have the twenty two years I have lived in Alaska. One great point he makes: where are the native authors that tell about their experiences from their point of view? Most books you find on Alaska are told from a non-native point of view. Why? So he set out to remedy that by at least one book. Another great question he asks, Where are the native philosophers? He answered that one too, since the person who wrote this book is clearly a philosopher and a native. Thank you for giving us such a rich resource of insight and filling a big gap for everyone.
Inspiring, thank you for telling your story May 7, 2009
Wayne Westlake (Anchorage, AK)
2 out of 3 found this review helpful
Willie's story is extraordinary, it shows the courage to to leave home for an extended period of time at a young age, leaving behind a life style that appears to be harsh but is familiar, this is similar to many Alaska Native youth who left home to continue their education into high school and beyond, Willie's challenges during these times are shared by others who found themselves in a strange world.
Willie's story is inspiring, it shows the connection to his roots and culture and the opportunity he saw in giving back through the political process, which he saw as a way to protect his heritage and the ensure the land was rightfully conveyed to those who it belonged to for thousands of years.
Willie is one of many who worked diligently on the Alaska Native issues of his day whom Alaska Natives today and in the future have to thank.
Thank you.
Wayne
Showing reviews 1-5 of 21
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