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Elizabeth Peratrovich – Leadership Qualities

Biographical Timeline | Leadership Qualities |ND Voting Rights|References

Courageous- Elizabeth Peratrovich is one of the most influential Alaskan Native people to fight against Jim Crow Laws in Alaska. This Tlingit woman recognized her ability to fight the segregation occurring across her state when she became the leader of the Alaskan Native Sisterhood. She moved away from her village in Klawock to Juneau, where she believed that her and her husband could face the racial discrimination head on. When the legislature was out on an anti-discrimination bill, she organized lobbying forays to the capitol with members of the Alaskan Native Sisterhood and Alaskan Native Brotherhood. It was there that she addressed the Senate with her famous opening line, “I would not have expected that I, who am barely out of savagery, would have to remind the gentlemen with 5,000 years of recorded civilization behind them of our Bill of Rights.” She is a courageous leader because she took it upon herself to speak for her people against the outright racism that Indigenous peoples of Alaska were facing. In spite of open discrimination like signs that read, “No Natives Allowed, No Dogs Allowed,” she showed courage by standing her ground before a senate of white men who held the fate of her people in their hands. She stood tall and proud, and eloquently fought for and helped achieve the first civil rights bill to be passed in the United States.

Resilient- Elizabeth Peratrovich stood up against the oppressive treatment of Alaskan Native peoples during the Jim Crow laws of the mid-1900s. The outward racism that was experienced by all Alaskan Natives through laws and social injustices inspired Peratrovich to stand up for her people.  Despite the many hurdles she faced as an Indigenous woman she rose up and spoke out to ensure the equal treatment of Alaskan Natives. On February 16th, 2020 Alaska celebrated the 75th anniversary of Elizabeth Peratrovich’s famous speech to the territorial legislature of Alaska which was sponsored by the Alaska Native Brotherhood and Alaska Native Sisterhood. In a speech honoring her legacy, Alicia Maryott from the Alaskan Native Sisterhood stated  “Ms. Peratrovich made it clear that asking for equal rights implies that they’re someone else’s to give…As we honor her today, let’s remember her resilience.”  Peratrovich not only navigated the Alaskan legal system in her compelling speech but she utilized the public speaking skills of her ancestors. In a time where Alaskan natives were highly discriminated against she had the clarity to look beyond the current state and push for equality for all native peoples in Alaska. This is how Elizabeth Peratrovich embodied what it means to be a resilient leader as she faced oppression head-on and continued to fight for what she knew to be right.

Inspirational- Elizabeth Peratrovich is one of Alaska’s most  inspirational Indigenous leaders. She faced many forms of discrimination during her lifetime but continued to uplift others. The Jim Crow laws of the 1900s encapsulated most aspects of daily life for Alaskan Natives, but Elizabeth inspired others to take a stand against these human rights violations. She is influential to many because of how difficult it was to create the change she did, and yet she was determined to keep fighting. This Tlingit woman inspired many around her while fighting against the oppression of the Native peoples of Alaska. As the grand president of the Alaskan Native Sisterhood in 1945, she addressed the territorial senate regarding the anti-discrimination bill. Her response to the call for action against the mistreatment of her people in the hands of the United States government is an admirable legacy she carries to today. On the day that the Anti-Discrimination Bill was signed, years after her death, the state of Alaska dedicated February 16th to be officially known as Elizabeth Peratrovich Day. Similar to other leaders, like Martin Luther King Jr., she never gave up on her fight for her people. She knew that the discrimination against Alaskan Natives needed to be put to an end. She gave it her all to accomplish her goal; to set into law the equal right for all Indigenous peoples of Alaska, and to make it illegal to discriminate against Native peoples. She inspired many people during her lifetime, and to this day continues to inspire the new generation of American Indians to have the courage to fight for their rights. 

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Ramona Bennett – Leadership Qualities

Biographical Timeline | Leadership Qualities | Little Shell Chippewa Recognition | References

Compassionate

Throughout all of her as a hardworking activist, Ramona never lost sight of what it means to be a leader to her people. A big component of her leadership qualities is compassion; Ramona has always had the well-being of everyone in mind as she fought for more Tribal rights. In 1978, Ramona was able to secure the National Indian Child Welfare Act. This act was solely intended for assisting Native children who would be possibly mistreated by the WA child service laws, which might separate the child from their family. Adding to her generosity and selflessness toward children, she founded the Rainbow Youth and Family Services in 1989. The goal of this organization was to protect Native children from any hate, abuse, neglect, or anything traumatic. More than that, this organization would connect these children to foster parents or to parents who are learning about the process of adoption and would like to take these traumatized children into their families. Ramona’s compassion is not forgotten by many, even after the many years that may pass after she has performed kind deeds for others. When Claudia Kauffman presented Ramona with the 2018 Bernie Whitebear Award, she recalled how helpful Ramona was toward her family. In order to allow Kauffman’s family to attend yearly powwows, Ramona would pick them all up, feed them sandwiches and snacks, and drive them all to the powwows. The compassion that Ramona Bennett has for her Tribe as well as her friends and supporters is remarkable. To this day, Ramona is active in fighting for Tribal rights while still making sure that everyone around her is well-cared for and protected, making her an amazing example of a compassionate leader.

Inspiring

Almost all of Ramona Bennett’s achievements would have never come to fruition had she not been able to rally supporters into action. She inspires her people, and has been inspiring them since back in the 1960s. Ramona led her people in a misunderstanding between her people and the law enforcement that resulted in what is now known as the BIA Takeover of 1972. There were threats made by the U.S. government to break down the doors and barge into the BIA office to arrest the occupants, but Ramona stood strong against these words and performed in such a way that inspired the people with her to stand strong with her. Later, in 1976, Ramona again led her people to seize the Tacoma Cushman hospital, claiming it as the property of the Puyallup Tribe. Alone, Ramona would have been unable to perform such a feat. But she was not alone; she had accrued a following in her time as the Chairwoman of the Puyallup Tribe, and her followers readily marched with their leader to take back their property. Even in recent times, Ramona has been present in the protests against the Tacoma Natural Gas project that will ruin Puget Sound. There is no doubt that a strong activist like Ramona Bennett bolsters the the protestors and makes them fight harder against the gas project. More than that, she gave a speech back in 2012 demanding clemency for Leonard Peltier, adding more fuel to this fiery battle for Peltier. For her entire career as an activist, Ramona Bennett has managed some incredible feats. However, many of these feats were made possible through her ability to be an inspiring character that her people would readily want to follow through thick and thin.

Ramona Bennett with Native Activists meeting outside the Bureau Of Indian Affairs in Washington DC
Ramona and other native activists outside the Bureau of Indian Affairs building in Washington DC in 1976

Resilient

Despite enduring tumultuous hardships, Ramona has continued to advocate for the human rights of Indigenous peoples across America as well as Natives across the PNW. In the face of discrimination and violence, Ramona has accomplished and paved the way for multiple pieces of legislation to be passed. She has faced police brutality and numerous loses and setbacks but has continued to fight for Native rights for over sixty years. When she started participating in fish-ins she was not discouraged in the face of continuous police harassment and brutality. When police came with clubs and riffles, Ramona was arrested along with numerous other protesters, but she was soon bailed out and despite her fear, went back into the fray. In 2013 at a meeting for solidarity with Chief Theresa Spence, Ramona offered her own words on the perseverance of Indigenous activism: “Keep it up, keep shouting, keep fighting. If all you have is your body put it there. Your ancestors did, they fought for every right you enjoy! Freedom of religion, property, resources, and you know what your great great great grandchildren will do the same thing. That’s the indian, that’s who we are, that’s why we’re here.” At the age of 81, Ramona continues to fight for tribal rights today, as her own Puyallup tribe fights against a fracked gas facility being built on their land, and will most likely never stop. Her enduring spirit and unwavering devotion to her cause has inspired many to take up the fight for Indigenous rights and has allowed the Puyallup tribe to flourish. Her never-ending resilience throughout decades of turmoil has not only inspired others in her community but makes her a fantastic leader and shows what can be accomplished with dedication.