Elizabeth Peratovich

On this day, Alaska celebrates the Anti-Discrimination Act of 1945, passed before Statehood. I’m proud of this act and of the civil rights and protections enshrined in our Constitution more than ten years later.

Lest we get too complacent, less than 20 years later, Douglass Indian Village was raised to make way for a new harbor. Its inhabitants were in fish camp, their material possessions raized along with their homes.

This year, Tuluksak lost its water supply. They were supplied with water by volunteers for 3 weeks before the State got around to an official disaster declaration.

In the debate leading up to the passage of the act, Elizabeth Peratovich stated that “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 of your intent to help us overcome discrimination.”

We obviously still have a long way to go.