Born: 4 July 1911, United States
Died: 1 December 1958
Country most active: United States
Also known as: Kaaxgal.aat
The following is republished from the Badass Womxn and Enbies in the Pacific Northwest Volume 3, in line with the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. It was written by Araceli Urrutia (she/her).
Born in Petersburg, Alaska, on July 4th, 1911, Elizabeth Peratrovich an Alaskan Native from the Tlingit Nation, was adopted by Andrew and Jean Wanamaker. Peratrovich grew up in Southeast Alaska, speaking Tlingit and English. She learned the history of her people and practiced a traditional Tlingit lifestyle, picking berries and fishing salmon. Unfortunately, she and other Native people endured constant discrimination and segregation, oftentimes establishments posted signs reading, “White Trade Only” or “No Dogs, No Natives.” Fortunately for her, activism was ingrained into her life at a young age. She grew up attending meetings of the Alaska Native Brotherhood with her father, who was a charter member of the nonprofit organization formed to address racism. She continued her education at Ketchikan High School, an integrated school where she met her future husband.
In the early 1930’s, Peratrovich married Roy Peratrovich and moved to Juneau, Alaska in late 1941, where they raised their three children. After settling in Juneau, she continued the fight for equality by becoming the Grand President of the Alaska Native Sisterhood. Later that year, she read an openly racist sign on a hotel door in town and outraged citizens took it upon themselves to write to Governor Gruening. The letter was the start of her campaign to pass an anti-discrimination bill through the Territorial Legislature, with the aid of Governor Gruening.
The bill initially failed in the House by a tie vote. This only motivated Peratrovich and her husband to travel around the state urging Native Alaskans to join their fight. In 1945, the House passed the bill and ended up on the Senate floor, where it was debated for several long hours. Senator Allen Shattuck, argued the measure would “aggravate rather than allay” racial tensions, “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, who knit during legislative sessions, set down her knitting needles, took to the podium and said: “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… No law will eliminate crimes but at least you as legislators can assert to the world that you recognize the evil of the present situation and speak your intent to help us overcome discrimination.” The crowd burst out into cheers and the 1945 Anti-Discrimination Act was passed, with votes being 11-5. The Senate had just successfully passed the United States first ever anti-discrimination law.
Peratrovich, the civil rights hero and Grand President of the Alaska Native Sisterhood, died on December 1st, 1958, at the age of 47 from breast cancer. Her immense activism is remembered through Elizabeth Peratrovich’s Day on February 16th. In February 2020, the 75th anniversary of the bill, she was honored with her own one dollar coin in commemoration of her relentless efforts in her fight for equality.
The following is republished from the US’s Federal Highway Administration. This piece falls under under public domain, as copyright does not apply to “any work of the U.S. Government” where “a work prepared by an officer or employee of the U.S. Government as part of that person’s official duties” (See, 17 U.S.C. §§ 101, 105).
Elizabeth Wanamaker was born in Petersburg, Alaska, on July 4, 1911, a member of the Tlingit Nation. She was adopted by Andrew and Mary Wanamaker. Elizabeth, who spoke Tlingit and English, grew up poor while experiencing discrimination by the territory’s white residents, as reflected in the common signs of that era: “No Natives Allowed,” “No Dogs, No Natives,” “We cater to white trade only.” Natives were restricted in where they could live, which hospitals would accept them, and which restaurants or theaters they could enter. They could send their children only to Indian schools. Elizabeth was fortunate to attend Ketichikan High School, which had been integrated as a result of a lawsuit filed by a Tlingit leader. In 1933, she married Roy Peratrovich, also a Tlingit.
In late 1941, they moved to Juneau. Roy was leader of the Alaska Native Brotherhood; Elizabeth was grand president of the Alaska Native Sisterhood. One day late that year, they spotted a “No Natives Allowed” sign on the door of the Douglas Inn across the channel from Juneau. With the United States having just entered World War II, they were outraged by this sign of discrimination. They wrote to Governor Ernest H. Gruening. “The proprietor of Douglas Inn does not seem to realize that our Native boys are just as willing as the white boys to lay down their lives to protect the freedom that he enjoys.” The sign, they said, was “an outrage.”
That letter was the start of Elizabeth’s campaign, with the support of Governor Gruening, to pass an anti-discrimination bill through the Territorial Legislature. In 1943, however, it failed in the House by a tie vote. Despite this disappointment, Elizabeth and her husband traveled around the State urging Native Americans to join their fight for justice.
In 1945, the House, which now included two Natives, passed the bill, which went to the Senate where it had enough votes to pass. However, one opponent, Senator Allen Shattuck, asked, “Who are these people, barely out of savagery, who want to associate with us whites with 5,000 years of recorded civilization behind us?”
During the public comment period, Elizabeth, who always knitted while attending legislative sessions, put down her needles to speak.”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.” After she described the restrictions her family faced, the senator asked if she thought the bill would end discrimination. She replied, “Do your laws against larceny and even murder prevent those crimes? No law will eliminate crimes but at least you as legislators can assert to the world that you recognize the evil of the present situation and speak your intent to help us overcome discrimination.” The gallery broke out in loud applause.
The bill passed the Senate which, according to one account, “was forced to a defensive whisper at the close of that senate hearing by a five foot five in Tlingit woman.”
On February 16, 1945, Governor Gruening approved the country’s first anti-discrimination law. “All citizens,” section 1 stated, “shall be entitled to the full and equal enjoyment of accommodations, advantages, facilities and privileges of public inns, restaurants, eating houses, hotels, soda fountains, soft drink parlors, taverns, roadhouses, barber shops, beauty parlors, bathroom, resthouses, theaters, skating rinks, cafes, ice cream parlors, transportation companies, and all other conveyances and amusements, subject only to the conditions and limitations established by law and applicable alike to all citizens.” Violators would be subject to imprisonment for up to 30 days or fined up to $250.
Elizabeth Peratrovich died on December 1, 1958, at the age of 47, of breast cancer. She lived long enough to see the rough early years of the Civil Rights Movement, during which the rest of the country battled with the same types of discrimination against African-Americans that she had fought on behalf of Alaska Natives. Nineteen years after Governor Gruening signed the law in Alaska, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964, which banned discrimination throughout the country on the basis of race, color, religion, sex or national origin.
Forty-four years after Governor Gruening signed the law, February 16 was established as “The Annual Elizabeth Peratrovich Day.” As one account explained, “Every year since that day, Alaskans pause to remember her, dedicating themselves to the continuation of her efforts, to achieving equality and justice for all Alaskans of every race, creed, and ethnic background.” The Alaska House of Representatives named a gallery in her honor, while a bronze bust was placed in the lobby of the State Capitol.The New York Times published a belated obituary on March 20, 2019:”Overlooked No More: Elizabeth Peratrovich, Rights Advocate for Alaska Natives.”
In February 2020, the 75th anniversary of the bill she fought for, the U.S. Mint will release five million $1 coins commemorating the Anti-Discrimination Law of 1945, the latest in a series of coins authorized by the Native American $1 Coin Act (P.L. 105-124, signed December 1, 1997). One side (tails) will feature a portrait of Elizabeth Peratrovich, the name of the legislation, and the symbol of the Tlingit Raven moiety, or descent group, of which she was a member; the reverse side (heads) will feature the traditional image of Sacagawea.
During a ceremony unveiling the coin design during the Alaska Native Brothers and Sisters Convention at Alaska Pacific University in October 2019, Chief Administrative Officer Patrick Hernandez of the U.S. Mint said:
“This coin will be a lasting tribute to Elizabeth Peratrovich and her relentless efforts to tear down the wall of discrimination against Alaskan natives. We will proudly produce this coin that honors her bravery and determination.”