Elizabeth Peratrovich Day, Sunday February 16, 2020 - The face of Alaska Native civil rights

Elizabeth Peratrovich Day took place this past Sunday, Feb. 16. Peratrovich was one of Alaska's better-known civil rights activists. Born in Petersburg in 1911 and coming from the Tlingit nation, she fought for the rights of native Alaskans. In 1945 she was instrumental in the passage of the Anti-Discrimination Act by the territorial legislature.

Fourth and fifth graders at Evergreen Elementary put together an art display in recognition of Peratrovich and her work, which is currently on display at the Nolan Center. Students drew pictures of Peratrovich, her life, and the work she did to help acquire equal rights for all Alaskans. The fifth grade students' artwork shows a timeline of Peratrovich's life. The fifth graders also mixed in technology with their art. Attached to their pictures are QR codes, which people can scan with their smartphones to see a video of students explaining their drawing.

"We did the timeline," said fifth grader Everett Meissner. "We drew all the pictures, hanging them up on string, and did a little caption below."

Nolan Center Director Cyni Crary said that there will be an open house on Thursday, Feb. 20, at 1 p.m., to see the artwork. People will also get a chance to see a museum display of civil rights activism in Alaska, she said, as well as a design of the Elizabeth Peratrovich $1 coin.