Hazel Pete (March 21, 1914 – January 2, 2003) was a woman of the Chehalis Tribe in Washington State and known for her rare skills in the ancient craft of Chehalis basket weaving.
Early life
Hazel Doris Pete was born on March 21, 1914, on the Chehalis Indian Reservation in Grays Harbor County in the State of Washington (https://web.archive.org/web/20130223191448/Washington Secretary of State). Her father was a member of the Chehalis Tribe and worked as a farmer, a logger, and on the Tribe's police force. Her mother was not of the Chehalis sect but rather belonged to the Kwalhioqua—a tribe no longer in existence. They married when they were fifteen years of age and had four children including Hazel. Pete grew up in difficult conditions, but poverty and hardship were common characteristics on reservations of the day. A love of learning was transferred to Pete at early age. Even at the age of 4, she would secretly tag along with her older siblings on their three-mile trek to the Chehalis Day school even though she was not yet old enough to attend. This strong appreciation for learning would eventually take on an even more significant role in her life years later (Collins 2001, p. 16)
Education
When Pete began her formal education, she came under a federally mandated system designed to resocialize Native Americans in a way that would better incorporate them into the broader culture of the nation. While this system was meant to help improve the life chances of Pete and those like her by introducing the mainstream lifestyle, it also resulted in a systematic dismantling of their ancestral traditions. Every aspect of the life Pete knew would be replaced or undermined by a new language, clothing, beliefs, and philosophies. This phenomenon would have a profound effect on Pete's future career choice and on her life as whole (Collins 2001, p. 16).
Like her siblings, Hazel first went to the Chehalis Day School but was moved to a grade school in Oakville, WA after third grade. It was here where she experienced a degree of racism and bigotry from white children who greatly outnumbered Native Americans in attendance. She left Oakville in 1925, due in part to the death of her sixteen-year-old sister Katherine due to tuberculosis. Before long, however, Hazel was moved once again but this time to the only government funded boarding school in the state of Washington: Tulalip Indian School. The school was located too far for a daily commute and, aside from the summers, became Hazel's temporary home. Though in disrepair and without inadequate funding, Tulalip introduced Hazel to a higher level of education and a deeper appreciation for practical skills. She learned how to sew everything from bed sheets to dresses and went on to work in the bakery and laundry. Hazel consistently improved in her studies from year to year and achieved the highest ranking in her class during her final year at the school. Upon completion of the ninth grade in May 1929, Hazel had graduated with honors and was prepared for another move (Collins 2001, p. 17–18).
Hazel completed her high school education at Chemawa Indian School in Salem, Oregon. She thrived there as well, making sure that she focused on her grades and finishing with excellence. She was also inspired to become a nurse in her junior year—a desire that she began working towards. While it was not known at the time, the most meaningful element of Hazel's enrollment at Chemawa was a class she attended on Indian arts and crafts in her senior year. She was introduced to working with various materials and learned a significant amount about beading, leather, and basketry. She took to these skills so well that she was awarded a medal for the most talented artist at the school. Ironically though, Her new-found intent to become a nurse gave this award little meaning when she received it. Hazel finished her high school education on May 26, 1932, after her official graduation from Chemawa Indian School (Collins 2001, p. 19–20).