Alaska History: Elizabeth Peratrovich
- Lynn Lovegreen
- 5 days ago
- 2 min read
Today is Elizabeth Peratrovich Day, an Alaska state holiday for one of our most important historical figures.
Elizabeth Peratrovich (Ḵaax̱gal.aat) was of the indigenous Tlingit Lukaax.ádi clan, and the grand president of the Alaska Native Sisterhood. She and her husband worked tirelessly advocating for their community. At that time, Alaska Natives were discriminated against in public places and lived without equal rights. When the territory’s Anti-Discrimination Bill was introduced in 1945, some legislators did not support it. Sen. Allen Shattuck said, “The races should be kept further apart. Who are these people, barely out of savagery, who want to associate with us whites with 5,000 years of recorded civilization behind us?”
Peratrovich famously approached the podium and responded, “I would not have expected that I, who am barely out of savagery, would have to remind the gentlemen with 5,000 years of recorded civilization behind them of our Bill of Rights.” She went on to eloquently describe the discrimination that her family and others experienced and to support the bill. The bill was passed and signed by the governor shortly after her speech.
Every February 16, Alaskans celebrate Elizabeth Peratrovich Day to honor her memory and remind us of her civil rights work. In 2020, her image was featured on the U.S. dollar coin.
Want to learn more? My friend Annie Boochever wrote Fighter In Velvet Gloves: Alaska’s Civil Rights Hero with Elizabeth’s son Roy Peratrovich Jr. Together they tell the story of Elizabeth Peratrovich and the Anti-Discrimination law of 1945. It’s a great book for young teens and adults alike. For film buffs, For the Rights of All: Ending Jim Crow in Alaska is a great documentary that shows Elizabeth’s work on this issue.
Elizabeth Peratrovich helped us gain civil rights before the federal government did so. But we still have more progress to make. May she inspire us to continue to form a more perfect union.