Ep.102: Susan La Flesche Picotte

The Red Dove

The Red Dove honors Indigenous Peoples Day with this Dove Tale all about the first Indigenous woman to become a doctor. Susan was born in 1865, at a time the Omaha Indigenous people were "assimilating" into white American culture, she would later write about walking a tightrope in between honoring her culture and assimilation. Susan attended U.S. government schools, college and medical school. Upon receiving her medical degree, Susan moved back to the Omaha Reservation and spends the rest of her life caring for her people. In 1913 Susan's life goal was achieved when she built a hospital for her people. Susan died in 1915, but her legacy as "Dr. Susan" to her people remains alive today. Presently, health care services is still an issue for the Omaha people but they also broke ground on both an $8.3 million expansion of the Carl T. Curtis Health Education Center in Macy and a new clinic in Walthill. We close out the episode with a reading of one of Susan's essays depicting the conditions, trials and tribulations Susan face on the daily. Listen, learn then activate!!!