[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 141 (Wednesday, September 11, 2024)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E883]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      CONGRATULATING SUSAN HUDSON

                                 ______
                                 

                      HON. TERESA LEGER FERNANDEZ

                             of new mexico

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 11, 2024

  Ms. LEGER FERNANDEZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Susan Hudson 
of the Navajo Nation, who is a 2024 NEA National Heritage Fellow. 
Hudson is an activist storyteller who weaves the saga of her community 
into quilts that are masterpieces.
  Hudson learned to sew out of necessity at the age of 9. Her mother 
and grandmother passed on the sewing skills they had been forced to 
learn in boarding schools. In line with the tradition of resistance and 
resilience, she transformed a painful heirloom into a storytelling 
tool. In a break from traditional quilting, Hudson makes ledger art 
that depicts the history and modern challenges facing indigenous 
people. Additionally, Hudson co-founded the Navajo Quilt Project, which 
donates fabric to elders.
  This initiative has engaged community members, empowered small 
business owners, and been instrumental in the construction of quilts 
for traditional ceremonies and donations. Hudson's work has won many 
prizes and is included in many renowned museums across the country such 
as International Quilt Museum, Heard Museum, Autry Western Museum, 
Riverside Museum, and National Museum of the American Indian.
  I want to congratulate and thank Ms. Hudson for her tremendous 
contribution to our collective heritage and her commitment to tell her 
own stories and the stories of her community.

                          ____________________