Willie Hensley facts for kids

Quick facts for kids William "Willie" Hensley
Iġġiaġruk
Willie Hensley in 2022
Member of the Alaska House of Representatives from the 17th district
In office January 23, 1967 – January 11, 1971
Preceded by	Jacob A. Stalker
Succeeded by	Frank R. Ferguson
Member of the Alaska Senate from the K district (J district 1971–1973)
In office January 11, 1971 – January 20, 1975
Preceded by	Robert R. Blodgett
Succeeded by	Redistricted
Member of the Alaska Senate from the L district
In office January 20, 1987 – January 9, 1989
Preceded by	Frank R. Ferguson
Succeeded by	Albert P. Adams
Personal details
Born	(1941-06-17) 17 June 1941 (age 84) Kotzebue, Alaska, United States
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Abigale Hensley
Children	4
Alma mater	George Washington University
Occupation	Politician, educator

William L. "Willie" Hensley (born June 17, 1941) is an important politician from Alaska. He is also known by his Iñupiaq name, Iġġiaġruk. He is famous for his work helping Native Alaskan people get their land rights.

Willie Hensley played a big part in creating the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) in 1971. This act was one of the largest land claims by Native peoples in U.S. history. He also served in the Alaska House of Representatives and the Alaska Senate.

Outside of politics, Hensley started the Northwest Alaskan Natives Association Regional corporation (NANA). He was its president for 20 years. He also helped create the Alaskan Natives Federation and Maniilaq, which helps tribes in Northwest Alaska.

After leaving politics, Hensley wrote a book called Fifty Miles from Tomorrow: A Memoir of Alaska and the Real People. It tells about his childhood and his journey as a leader for Native rights.

Willie Hensley's Early Life and School

Willie Hensley was born in a small community in Northwest Alaska. This place is about 40 miles north of the Arctic Circle. His mother was an Inupiat Eskimo from Kotzebue. His father was a fur trader whom he never met.

When he was young, his mother gave him and his sister to relatives. They lived along the Noatak River delta. Willie grew up without electricity or running water. His family hunted and fished to survive the long, cold Arctic winters.

Willie went to a Bureau of Indian Affairs elementary school. For high school, he attended a religious boarding school in Knoxville, Tennessee. A Baptist missionary helped him get into this school. At boarding school, Willie played football and was even the co-captain. He was also voted class president.

After high school, Willie went to George Washington University in Washington D.C. He earned a degree in political science and a minor in economics. He also studied law at other universities. In 1980, he received an honorary law degree from the University of Alaska.

Willie Hensley's Political Work

The Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA)

Willie Hensley became involved with the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act because of an essay he wrote. It was called "What Rights to Land Have the Alaska Native: The Primary Issue." His essay talked about the history of Indigenous people and their land rights in the United States.

Willie's paper was shared at the first Alaskan Federation of Native convention. He helped lead this meeting. Willie and other Native Alaskans worked very hard to convince the government in Washington. Finally, in 1971, ANCSA was created and signed into law by President Nixon.

This act gave Alaskan Natives 44 million acres of land. They also received a payment of $963 million. The land and money were shared among 12 regional Alaskan Native corporations. Willie Hensley helped start one of these corporations.

Serving in the Alaska Legislature

In 1966, at age 25, Willie Hensley was elected to the Alaska House of Representatives. He served for several years and was re-elected later. He was a Democratic member and cared a lot about Native issues.

Hensley was first elected to the Alaska Senate in 1971. He served a four-year term. He worked on committees related to water resources and Native American affairs. He was appointed to the Senate again in 1987. During this time, he worked on committees for Finance, Rules, and State Affairs.

Commissioner of Commerce

In 1994, Alaska's Governor Tony Knowles chose Willie Hensley to be the Commissioner of Commerce and Economic Development. In this job, he was in charge of things like tourism, international trade, and seafood marketing for Alaska.

Willie Hensley's Professional Career

Alaska Federation of Natives (AFN)

Willie Hensley was a main founder of the Alaska Federation of Natives (AFN) in 1966. He served in many roles, including president and executive director. This organization was created to help Alaskan Natives use the ANCSA. It also helped set up the regional corporations that the act required.

After these first goals were met, the AFN continued to work on protecting Native issues and giving Native people a strong political voice. Willie Hensley led the first AFN meeting that created a committee to unite Native groups. They wanted to make sure their land claims were recognized and that Native Alaskans became a powerful political force.

Willie Hensley once said about the AFN:

“What gave AFN the ability to move the Nation was the strong spirits of its membership and the ability to focus on the key issues of the day. . . We faced pressures from state politicians as well as members of Congress and our own internal warfare. We persevered, knowing that if we gave up due to our egos being hurt or our issues being ignored, that our people would be the ones to suffer."

NANA Regional Corporation

Willie Hensley in 1973

Willie Hensley's work on the ANCSA led him to become a leader of one of the regional corporations. ANCSA applied to over 200 Native villages and areas in Alaska. Each area was given a regional corporation. These 12 corporations shared the money they received.

Willie Hensley became the executive director of the Northwest Alaska Native Association (NANA). NANA's goals were to get land claims, improve Inupiat education, encourage political involvement, and make life better for Native people. Because of Willie's Inupiat culture, NANA strongly supported programs to keep the culture alive and solve social problems. NANA's symbol shows an Iñupiaq hunter moving toward a good future in a beautiful, sometimes harsh, world.

Willie Hensley also led NANA Development Corp, which manages the business side of the Native corporation. He was a director for over 20 years before becoming its president.

Willie Hensley helped develop the Red Dog mine. This mine is in the De Long Mountains, about 90 miles north of Kotzebue. Red Dog is one of the world's largest zinc and lead mines. It produces 10 percent of the world's zinc. The mine was created through a special agreement. NANA shareholders get direct benefits from the mine. As president, Willie Hensley was a main person who helped create the partnership between NANA (who owned the land) and Teck (the company that runs the mine).

Maniilaq

In 1966, Willie Hensley helped start the Northwest Alaskan Natives Association (NANA). This was a non-profit group that helped Native communities with their issues, health, and social needs. When ANCSA was passed, the for-profit NANA regional corporation was created. To avoid confusion, the non-profit NANA changed its name to Maniilaq.

Alyeska Pipeline Service Company

In 1997, Hensley joined the Alyeska Pipeline Service Company. This company runs and maintains the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System. Willie Hensley became the Manager of Federal Government Relations in Washington D.C. His job was to connect Alyeska staff with Native Alaskan communities.

Educator

Since 2011, Willie Hensley has been a special visiting professor at the University of Alaska. He teaches about the history and colonization of Alaska and how it affects Native people today.

Willie Hensley's Family Life

Willie Hensley married his wife, Abigale Hensley, in 1974. They have four children: Priscilla, Mollie, James, and Elizabeth. Willie and Abigale now live in Anchorage, Alaska.

Images for kids

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  Willie Hensley in 2022

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  Willie Hensley in 1973