The U.S. Mint released a coin commemorating the work of Alaska Native leader Elizabeth Peratrovich on Wednesday. The 2020 Native American $1 coin is currently only available online, but Alaskans are advocating for a wider release.
The theme of the 2020 Native American $1 Coin design is “Elizabeth Peratrovich and Alaska’s Anti-Discrimination Law.” The foreground of the coin features a symbol of the Tlingit Raven moiety, of which she was a member.
The first anti-discrimination law in the United States, prohibiting discrimination in access to public accommodations, was passed in the Alaskan territorial government in 1945. Elizabeth Peratrovich, through her advocacy for Alaskan Natives with her husband Roy and an impassioned speech in the Alaskan Senate in support of the law, is widely credited with getting it passed.
Alaskan House Joint Resolution 9 recently passed both houses of the Alaska Legislature. Its goal is to see that the U.S. Mint make the coin more widely available, and is currently awaiting the governor’s signature.
2020 marks the 75th anniversary of Elizabeth Peratrovich’s famous testimony in support of the nation’s first anti-discrimination law. The U.S. Mint currently offers the coin in 100-coin bags, 25-coin rolls, and 250-coin boxes.