Moments Rightly Placed: An Aleutian Memoir

Ray Hudson

Jan 2008 · Epicenter Press

About this ebook

"In 1964, Ray Hudson, twenty-two, landed in Unalaska village with a brand-new college degree, eager to teach. The Aleuts had seen many outsiders who seldom stayed more than a year. Yet Hudson was no short-timer. Captivated by Unalaska and the history and traditions of its enduring people, he stayed. As the years passed he was embraced by his Aleut neighbors, sharing their celebrations and tragedies, teaching their children, exploring their culture, and, much to their surprise, learning their delicate art of grass basketry. Ultimately Ray Hudson pays homage to the people he came to teach, and who, in the end, were his teachers."--BOOK JACKET.

Ratings and reviews

An eloquent book about life in Unalaska in the 1960s recording valuable history on life in the Aleutians, particularly with Aleut elders such as Anfesia Shapsnikoff. Hudson displays astute cultural awareness of the Unanga-x as the fabric of their lifestyle underwent rending of challenging times following World War II and before the settlement of the Alaska Native Land Claims Settlement Act. For anyone living in the Aleutians, a must-read.

About the author

Ray Hudson lived in the Aleutian Islands from 1964 to 1992, and there his heart remains even though he now lives in Middlebury, Vermont, with his wife, Sally. As a teacher at Unalaska, Hudosn oversaw the publication of seven volumes of regional history, and edited a collection of stories and craft instructions by Aleut leaders. In Vermont, Hudson continues to research and write on topics related to the island. Raised in Yakima, Washignton, and a graduate of the University of Washington, Hudson stude\ied woodblock printing with Lu Fang at the Zhejiang Fin Arts Academy in Hangzhou, China. He is the recipient of the National Education Association's Leo Reano Awared for his work with First Americans. In 1990, the Alaska State Council on the Arts recognized Hudson's effort on bahalf of the arts in the Aleutians by presenting him with the Governor's Award for the Arts.