This year we acknowledge the 20-year passing of Hazel Pete, Chehalis Master Weaver and Artist – it is as if it were yesterday when she was telling young weavers “Now…weave 10 more!” Karen Reed-Squally, a Puyallup weaver has often said “Hazel revived the art of basketry impacting many Tribes beyond the Chehalis – you can’t put a dollar value on the gift of knowledge she shared.” The Washington State Arts Commission Folk Arts Program named Hazel Pete a master artist in 1994 when she was on the faculty at The Evergreen State College. That year her image was added to the Clocktower at Centralia Community College. In 2001 Gary Locke presented her with the Governor’s Heritage Arts Award. Despite the hardships of being a single parent raising 9 children, laws and policies prohibiting the learning of Chehalis culture and heritage, Hazel Pete single-handedly revived and kept alive a central aspect of Chehalis culture – basketry. Working with her own children, and extended family members over the decades she taught gathering, processing, preparing, and weaving baskets. Materials represented include cattail, sweetgrass, nettle, bear grass, and cedar. Hazel Pete Family baskets have become highly regarded and are sought by collectors from throughout the world.
For the 15th Annual Native American Art Exhibition at the South Puget Sound Community College, Leonor R. Fuller Gallery, this exhibition highlighting traditional and contemporary basketry woven by the Hazel Pete Family. The exhibition includes coil and woven basketry types, a cattail mat lean-to, cedar clothing, storage baskets, storyteller doll diorama, photos depicting the gathering process, and contemporary glass baskets made at the Museum of Glass. Hazel Pete was a 6th generation weaver from treaty negation times in western Washington – 7th, 8th, and 9th generation weavers will be featured in this exhibit.
The Skokomish River Road Canoe Family (Hazel Pete Family members are included) would dance in the “spirit of basket weaving” honoring the multiple ways basketry has been regenerated in the regalia worn by canoe members as they commit to the Paddle to Lower Elwha in 2024.
