Fifty Miles From Tomorrow: A Memoir of Alaska and the Real People by William L. Iggiagruk Hensley is a great read. Hensley shares his perspective on the changes he has seen in Alaska in his time and about his part in some of the defining moments in Alaska history such as the development of the Alaska Native Land Claims Act.Now I have gone and made his great book seem dry. It is not. His description of his early memories are clear and full of detail. I laughed out loud (really!) when he described what he thought of the food he ate downstates compared to his native foods. I have heard similar comments from my students throughout the years. He is also philosophical. When you read it you can picture this young man growing up and going through all of these changes, adapting and also pushing back against all the changes. It is amazing when you think about all of the changes that have happened in Alaska in just the last fifty years. Makes me feel old since almost all of that happened in just my lifetime.
I like to use a quote that I liked a lot from the book that I think says something about the theme, or purpose the author wrote the book. I think Hensley would agree with my choice of his words:
"To me, the beauty of what became known as Inupiat Ilitqusiat—Inupiat Values— was the fact that they were not material. They were deeply entrenched in the mind and heart and spirit, and entirely transportable. You can be anywhere in the world and retain your Inupiaq identity and values. You can pursue the highest academic credentials and become as wealthy as Bill Gates and still be the Inupiaq of whom your forefathers would be proud." pg 220
This is a great read and I would recommend it to anyone who has any interest in Alaska's history. Oh, and that should be everyone.
By the way, I am enjoying my new home in Newtok, Alaska.
