ELIZABETH PERATROVICH INDUCTED INTO THE NATIONAL NATIVE AMERICAN HALL OF FAME t’s been 74 years since Elizabeth Peratrovich famously addressed Alaska’s Territorial Senate and convinced a Eligibility Criteria divided legislation to vote for the Anti-Discrimination Act. Every candidate considered Elizabeth was 33 years old. Alaska was 15 years away from for the Native American Istatehood, and the United States was nearly 20 years away from Hall of Fame must be Native passing the Civil Rights Act. American or Alaskan Native. On February 16, 1945, a day Alaska now recognizes in Candidates must either be memoriam as Elizabeth Peratrovich Day, Governor Ernest federally enrolled, part of a Gruening signed the nation’s first anti-discrimination bill state-recognized tribe, or have into law. To this day, Elizabeth is still being recognized and verifiable Native descendancy celebrated for her extraordinary accomplishments as a civil with strong and verifiable rights pioneer. ties to their respective On November 2, 2019, Elizabeth Peratrovich was inducted communities. into the National Native American Hall of Fame at a ceremony Leadership: Tribal Leader at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Tulsa, Oklahoma. or leader of an effort that Elizabeth, the mother of PND Engineers, Inc. co-founder Roy earned respect and regard for Peratrovich, Jr., was one of their accomplishments. 12 inductees in the fledgling Sacrifice: Sacrificed Hall of Fame’s second class. themselves or their own “Our board of directors personal interests for the and I believe that the 12 greater good. Native Americans who will Contributions to Indian be enshrined in the National Country: Their work or efforts Native American Hall of benefited Indian country Fame are stellar examples or benefited understanding of the individuals and level to those outside of Indian of accomplishment that country. our organization will be Mentorship: Contributed honoring this year, and in to youth, fellow professionals, the future,” National Native elders or other tribal members American Hall of Fame due to their work for the CEO and Founder James betterment of Indian country Parker Shield (Little Shell and serving as a role model. Chippewa) said in a news Legacy: Their work or release. efforts benefited policy, public “Our organization’s mission is to recognize and honor regard, tribal relationships or the inspirational achievements of Native Americans in other national regard in a way contemporary history. We join with all of our relatives across that bettered Indian country Indian country – and all Americans throughout the United for generations that followed States – in welcoming these exemplary individuals, some who or will follow. have passed on to the spirit world, to the National Native Accomplishments: American Hall of Fame.” They made a nationally Elizabeth, who died from breast cancer in 1958 at age 47, was recognized or well-warranted one of 30 original nominees for the Hall of Fame’s inaugural accomplishment that brought class of 12 chosen in 2018. Inducted a year later, she is the first Indian country into a national Alaskan and only Tlingit Indian among the Hall’s 24 inductees. or international positive Roy Peratrovich, Jr., the oldest son of Roy and Elizabeth, was spotlight. They could have unable to attend the event. Mike Peratrovich – Roy Peratrovich, been the first in their field or Jr.’s oldest son – and his wife, Barb, and son, Chris, accepted the profession. award on the Peratroviches’ behalf. Alaska Anti-Discrimination Act oy Peratrovich, Jr., thanks to his parents’ civil rights activism, was the first Alaska Native to enter Juneau’s public school system in the early 1940s. In 1962, he became the first Alaska Native to earn his professional Rengineer license in the State of Alaska. In 1979, he and Dennis Nottingham founded PND Engineers, Inc. An artist and an author, as well, Peratrovich, Jr. sculpted a pair of bronze busts of his parents that are on display at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C. Peratrovich, Jr. was 10 years old when his parents successfully lobbied the territorial legislation to pass the legendary Alaska Anti-Discrimination Act of 1945. Elizabeth traveled bush to bush, village to village, encouraging Alaska Natives to run for political office, one of whom was her brother-in-law Frank About The Selection Process Peratrovich, whose service spanned Alaska’s statehood. He Once eligibility has served in the Alaska Territorial House of Representatives (1945- been determined, the list 46) and Alaska Territorial Senate (1947-51), as well as the of potential inductees is Alaska Senate (1959-67) and Alaska House of Representatives compiled by the National (1969-73). Native American Hall of Fame Thanks to Elizabeth’s efforts prior to the bill’s passage, the board of directors. This list is legislation passed the House with a commanding 19-5 vote. The entered into a matrix which Senate’s approval, however, was much more polarizing. Allen includes consideration for Shattuck, a senator from Juneau, argued against the legislation, gender, geographic balance, according to information pulled from Fighter in Velvet Gloves, a deceased or living, reputation, book recently released by Annie Boochever (co-written by Roy and category of achievement. Peratrovich, Jr.) about Elizabeth Peratrovich. The compiled list of Shattuck cried, “Who are these people, barely out of savagery, possible inductees is made who want to associate with us whites with five thousand years public, where anyone has of recorded civilization behind us?” The senator’s rebuke the opportunity to indicate solicited vocal support their choices and suggest among his colleagues, additional names through which ultimately led to an online survey instrument. Roy Peratrovich, Sr.’s final You can vote for your favorite testimony that day. nominees by submitting your Again, from Fighter in completed nomination form. Velvet Gloves, as written After a suitable period of by Boochever: “Roy Sr. time, the survey results are testified that there was no reviewed by the board of question discrimination directors. against Alaska Natives After considerable existed, and he reminded discussion, with the the crowd of the powerful aforementioned considerations display of harmful words in mind, the board makes they had just heard from the final determination as to certain members of the who will be inducted into the Senate. He went on to National Native American thank Governor Gruening Hall of Fame. for his support of the bill and explained how only Elizabeth Peratrovich (d. 1958) / Tlingit Elizabeth Peratrovich was a civil rights activist in Alaska. In the 1940s, she was credited with advocacy that gained passage of the 1945 Alaska Territory Anti-Discrimination Act. The act was the first anti-discrimination law in the United States, signed well before the federal Civil Rights Act was passed in 1964 and 14 years before Alaska became the 49th state. On February 6, 1988, the Alaska State Legislature established February 16 (the day of the 1945 signing of the Anti- Discrimination Act) as “Elizabeth Peratrovich Day” to honor her contributions “for her courageous, unceasing efforts to eliminate discrimination and bring about equal rights in Alaska.” In 1992, Gallery B of the Alaska House of Representatives chamber in the Alaska State Capitol was renamed in her honor. In 2018, Elizabeth was chosen by the National Women’s History Project as one of its honorees for Women’s History Month in the United States.

Alaska Natives can know how it feels to be discriminated against in this, their own homeland.” Paraphrasing from Boochever’s book, it was customary for the Senate president to open the floor to the public at the end of a bill’s debate in the legislature. Elizabeth Peratrovich, who was taking in the proceedings from the back of the gallery with her young daughter, stood up, walked to the front, and faced the assembled legislators. “I would not have expected that I, who am barely out of savagery,” she improvised, “would have to remind gentlemen with five thousand years of recorded civilization behind them of our Bill of Rights.” After Elizabeth delivered the rest of her well-rehearsed address, Shattuck challenged her: “Will the proposed bill eliminate discrimination?” Elizabeth replied, “Do your laws against larceny and 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.” Elizabeth’s speech won the crowd and the Senate; the bill passed 11-5, providing for “full and equal accommodations, facilities, and privileges to all citizens in places of public accommodations within the jurisdiction of the Territory of Alaska” and specifying penalties for violation. Compliments of Fighter in Velvet Gloves, Boochever quotes Elizabeth Peratrovich in the mother’s final letter to her oldest son. “I’ll never forget the moment the governor signed the bill, then turned to me, and presented me with the pen with which the bill was signed. The Governor said, ‘This is the most important piece of legislation passed in Alaska and will help the most in its development. It never would have passed without your speech.’”

To read more about Annie On the semisesquicentennial of the Boochever’s Fighter in Anti-Discrimination Law of 1945, Velvet Gloves, go to http:// Elizabeth Peratrovich will be commemorated annieboochever.com/books/ on the 2020 Native American $1 Coin fighter-in-velvet-gloves/. printed by the United States Mint.