Willie Hensley talked about his book Fifty Miles from Tomorrow: A Memoir of Alaska and the Real People (Farrar, Straus and Giroux; December 23, 2008). In the book he recounts his childhood as a Native Alaskan and his tenures in the Alaska House of Representatives and State Senate. Mr. Hensley was the author of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, signed into law in 1971, which protected 44 millions acres of land in Alaska from non-native and government acquisition and awarded $962.5 million dollar for ceding claims to the remaining land. Mr. Hensley responded to audience members' questions following his remarks.

William Iggiagruk Hensley served four years in the Alaska House of Representatives and six years in the Alaskan State Senate. He assisted in establishing the Alaska Federation of Natives and has been the organizations executive director, director, president, and co-chair.