Susan La Flesche Picotte
Susan La Flesche Picotte
Susan La Flesche Picotte (1865-1915) was born and raised on the Omaha Reservation in the state of Nebraska, USA. She is considered the first Native American to acquire a degree in medicine, having graduated first in her class at the Women’s Medical College of Pennsylvania.
History of the Omaha People:
The Omaha People are a Native American Tribe occupying what is now Northern Nebraska and Western Iowa in the United States of America. In the early 1600s, the Omaha people were part of a larger tribe known as the Woodland tribe, which included the Omaha and the Quapaw people. The Woodland tribe occupied the land by the Ohio river, but as they migrated west the tribe split and the Omaha settled by the Missouri River. They currently occupy approximately 800 km2 of land and have a population of 6,000 people.
Early Childhood and Education:
Susan began her education by attending a mission school on the Omaha Reservation, which was first run by Presbyterians and later on Quakers. Similar to Residential Schools here in Canada, this system was a form of assimilation into white society. She later on left the reserve in pursuit of higher education, in which she attended both the Elizabeth Institute of New Jersey and the Hampton Institute of Virginia. In 1886, she was accepted into the Women’s Medical College of Pennsylvania in pursuit of a medical degree. At the time, it was very rare for a woman to attend medical school as most institutions would only accept men into their programs. To support Susan’s acquisition of a medical degree, several women’s organizations supported her financially. As an aspiring physician, Susan’s tuition, housing and supplies were covered as this aligned with their mission to encourage "Victorian" values. After three years of studies, Susan was awarded the title of Valedictorian having graduated at the top of her class on March 14th, 1889.
Career as a Physician:
After obtaining her medical degree, Susan returned to the Omaha reserve to take on her role as a physician. She was responsible for the health and well-being of over one thousand people on the reserve and often found herself working 20-hour days. In addition to her role as a physician, she advocated for many important issues including personal hygiene, alcoholism and disease control. She also advocated for a hospital to be built on the Omaha reserve, which was completed in her honour in 1913. This was the first ever private hospital to be built on a reserve.
Her Impact:
The hospital Susan advocated to build now serves as a community centre on the Omaha reserve and has recently been considered a National Historic Landmark. After suffering from chronic illness, Susan’s health rapidly declined in the last few years of her life. Sadly, she passed away of bone cancer on September 18th, 1915. Her commitment to her community after the acquisition of a medical degree demonstrates her willingness to help others. She consistently demonstrated selflessness, having always put the health and safety of other's before her own. Susan La Flesche Picotte was an incredible advocate for Indigenous people and particularly women in the world of medicine. Her legacy will live on for years to come.
Sources:
https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/g29460020/indigenous-scientists/?slide=4
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Susan_La_Flesche_Picotte
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omaha_people