Elizabeth Wanamaker Peratrovich
was an important civil rights leader in Alaska. She was born on July 4, 1911, in
Petersburg, Alaska. She was a Tlingit woman and she was from the Lukaax.adi clan
of the Raven moiety. The Tlingits had a unique culture, and they lived in the
Southeastern part of Alaska. Elizabeth’s Tlingit name was Kaaxgal.aat.
Her
parents died when she was a very young and Andrew and Mary Wanamaker adopted
her. Andrew and Mary Wanamaker were missionaries for the Presbyterian Church.
Elizabeth attended elementary school and high school in Alaska. She went to
college at Sheldon Jackson College in Sitka and at the Western College of
Education in Washington. In 1931, Elizabeth married Roy Peratrovich. Roy
Peratrovich was from Klawock, and they moved back to Klawock to raise their
family. When Elizabeth and Roy and their three children moved to Juneau in 1941,
they were amazed at the open discrimination against Native Alaskan people.
There
were signs in windows of restaurants and stores that said “No Natives
Allowed”, and Native Alaskan children were not even allowed to attend the
public schools. Roy and Elizabeth decided that something needed to be done to
change this situation. Roy
served as the Alaska Native Brotherhood Grand President and Elizabeth as the
Alaska Native Sisterhood Grand President. They lobbied for an
anti-discrimination law to be passed, and they wrote letters to Governor Ernest
Gruening, the territorial Governor. Finally in 1943, with the help of Governor
Gruening and Congressional Representative Anthony J. Dimond, the territorial
legislation considered an anti-discrimination law. However the law was not
passed. In 1945, the anti-discrimination law came before the council again.
This
time Elizabeth gave a powerful testimony to the Senate.
The council asked Elizabeth, “Will the equal rights bill eliminate
discrimination in Alaska?”
Elizabeth answered, “Have you eliminated larceny or murder by passing a
law against it? 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.”
This testimony persuaded the senate to pass the anti-discrimination law.
Years
later the Alaska Legislature recognized Elizabeth’s accomplishments by
established February 16 as "The Annual Elizabeth Peratrovich Day."
February 16 is the anniversary of the signing of the Anti-Discrimination Act.
On
this day, Alaskans pause to remember Elizabeth Peratrovich and to honor her
courage, vision, and wisdom.
Alaska 
