Annie Boochever’s new play, “No Natives Allowed: Elizabeth Peratrovich Fights for Equality” will be debuted by Haines Borough middle schoolers at this year’s Elizabeth Peratrovich Day celebration at Haines High School. The play was adapted from Boochever’s latest book, an Elizabeth Peratrovich photo biography that has not yet been published.

“My hope when I wrote this book was that it would inspire young readers to take up that torch Elizabeth lit all those years ago and also the spirit that was embodied in Elizabeth and her husband Roy, to fight for, I think, one of most important rights in Alaska or anywhere. The right to equal treatment under law,” Boochever said.

Boochever will be featured as the keynote speaker at the all-school assembly, outlining Peratrovich’s life and infamous anti-discrimination bill, the circumstances Natives faced at that time, and the work that still can be done to combat racial discrimination and civil rights issues. The event will be hosted by the Alaska Native Sisterhood (ANS) and the Haines Borough School District.

“Very few people outside of Alaska know of (Peratrovich) but she is becoming more and more of an icon,” Boochever said. “There are busts of her and her husband at the Smithsonian, she was made into a Google Doodle, featured on the children's tv show Molly of Denali, the U.S Mint unveiled a coin with her on the flipside from Sacagawea, and the New York Times did a series about her last year honoring women whose passing had gone unreported in the NY Times. A lot of people are learning about her.”

Boochever said she did a presentation on Peratrovich at the American Association of University Women for Indigenous People’s Day, where her audience was “surprised they didn’t know about her.” At the end of the presentation, the women purchased copies of Boochever’s book, “Fighter in Velvet Gloves,” for their university library.

Other events at the assembly will include music and dances from elementary students, music from high school students, and games from the Native Youth Olympics. The assembly will take place in the Haines High School gym Feb. 16 at 8:45 a.m. A full length reader’s theater of the play will be performed at 6:30 p.m in the elementary school gym. Community members are welcome to attend both events.