Hazel Pete facts for kids
Hazel Pete (born March 21, 1914 – died January 2, 2003) was a skilled artist from the Chehalis Tribe in Washington State. She was well-known for her amazing talent in the old craft of Chehalis basket weaving.
Contents
Early Life and Learning
Hazel Doris Pete was born on March 21, 1914. She grew up on the Chehalis Indian Reservation in Grays Harbor County, Washington. Her father was a Chehalis Tribe member who worked as a farmer and logger. Her mother belonged to a different tribe called the Kwalhioqua.
Life was tough on reservations back then, and Hazel grew up in poverty. But she loved to learn! Even at age four, she would secretly follow her older brothers and sisters. They walked three miles to the Chehalis Day School, even though she was too young to go. This strong love for learning would become very important later in her life.
Schooling and Challenges
When Hazel started school, it was part of a system. This system was meant to help Native Americans fit into the wider American culture. While it aimed to improve their lives, it also tried to remove their old traditions. Things like their language, clothes, and beliefs were often changed or ignored. This had a big effect on Hazel's future choices.
Hazel first went to Chehalis Day School. After third grade, she moved to a school in Oakville, Washington. Here, she faced racism from some of the white children. She left Oakville in 1925, partly because her older sister Katherine died from tuberculosis.
Soon, Hazel moved again to the Tulalip Indian School. This was the only government-funded boarding school in Washington. It was far from home, so Hazel lived there most of the year. Even though the school was old and didn't have much money, Hazel learned a lot. She learned practical skills like sewing and worked in the bakery and laundry. She did very well in her studies and graduated with honors in 1929.
High School and Art Discovery
Hazel finished high school at Chemawa Indian School in Salem, Oregon. She continued to do well in her classes. In her junior year, she wanted to become a nurse.
The most important part of her time at Chemawa was an art class in her senior year. She learned about different materials and how to do beading, leatherwork, and basketry. She was so good that she won a medal for being the most talented artist! At the time, becoming a nurse was her main goal, so the art award didn't seem that important. Hazel graduated from high school in May 1932.
Pursuing Art
Hazel's dream of becoming a nurse ended quickly. She was turned away from a hospital in Tacoma, Washington, because of her skin color. This made her want to go back to school instead.
Her teachers from Chemawa remembered her art talent. They suggested she go to the Santa Fe Indian School in New Mexico. This school was special because it helped keep Native American culture alive. It was the perfect place for Hazel to improve her art skills. Her professors encouraged her to keep developing her talents. She attended Santa Fe from 1932 to 1934.
Hazel later said about Santa Fe:
I learned more about Indian culture than my parents knew. When I went to Santa Fe, I knew nothing about Indians. We weren't allowed to even think about being Indian. We were supposed to get out of [school] and be like the whites. So when I was there, I didn't realize that [native] baskets were a great craft. I didn't know that our woodwork, our totem poles, were unique and really different from [those of] other tribes. I didn't know the difference. So when I was there, I had to go to the books and learn about baskets and all the rituals that we had.
Much later, in the 1970s, Hazel went back to college. Her children were grown up, so she had time. She earned a bachelor's degree from The Evergreen State College in 1974. Then, she got a master's degree in Native American studies from the University of Washington in 1978. She was in her 60s at the time!
Family Life
Hazel Pete married Joseph DuPuis and later Frank Richardson. She had thirteen children. Seven of her children are Janet Camp, Curtis DuPuis, Yvonne Peterson, Trudy Marcellay, Henrietta Boyd, Donna DuPuis, and David DuPuis.
Bringing Back Basket Weaving
With her art skills, Hazel's mother suggested she try making baskets. Hazel agreed. She remembered watching her grandmother make baskets many years before. She used these memories to bring back the old way of basket weaving to the Chehalis people.
This art had almost been forgotten, but Hazel brought it back to life. She opened an art studio and workshop in her home. She also created the Hazel Pete Institute of Chehalis Basketry. Here, she taught her children and grandchildren her special craft. Her business was so successful that it helped pay for many of her relatives' college education.
Hazel Pete's baskets have been shown in major art galleries across America. This brought her national recognition. Some places that showed her work include the American Indian Community House Museum in New York City and the Burke Museum in Seattle. You can even see one of her baskets online in Washington's State Art Collection.
Career as an Educator
In 1934, Hazel Pete became a teacher for the BIA (Bureau of Indian Affairs). She taught Indian Arts and Crafts at Warm Springs Indian School in Oregon. Later, she taught at the Sherman Institute in California in 1937. In 1940, she taught at Carson City Indian School in Nevada.
Later in her life, Hazel taught a class in Indian studies at Grays Harbor Community College in Aberdeen, Washington.
Awards and Recognition
In 2001, Hazel Pete received a very special award. It was the Governor’s Heritage Award, the highest honor for artists in Washington State. This award celebrates amazing artists and their contributions to the state. Governor Gary Locke gave Hazel her award.
Seven years earlier, in 1994, Hazel also won the Master Artist award. This was from the Washington State Arts Commission Folk Arts Program.
Later Years and Legacy
Hazel Pete passed away on January 2, 2003, in Oakville, Washington. She was 88 years old. She is buried at the Chehalis Tribal Cemetery.
Hazel Pete spent her life helping to save and bring back Chehalis culture and traditions. She brought new life to a world that was in danger of being forgotten. Her important work will always be remembered.
Images for kids
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Hazel Pete, a famous Chehalis basket weaver.
