A beloved member of the Yakama Indian Nation has died at the age of 102. Virginia Beavert was known for her tireless efforts to keep her tribe’s culture and traditions alive. She got her doctorate in linguistics at the University of Oregon and at age 90, became the oldest person ever to graduate from the school.
In a 2009 interview with KLCC, Beavert talked about when she was born in 1921 during a hunting trip.
“I was born in a bear cave,” Beavert said with a giggle. “The hunting trip was caught in a big storm and their horses died. They found shelter in a bear cave and my mother was very pregnant, I guess.”
Beavert co-wrote a dictionary of the Sahaptin language of the Yakama tribe.
She also mentored students at the University of Oregon and taught Sahaptin, keeping her native language alive.
Beavert died Thursday at home in Wapato, Washington. She was the last World War II veteran who was a member of the Yakama Nation. She was buried Monday morning in Toppenish.
