Dr. Susan was born and raised at the Omaha reservation and schooled there from 1870 – 79. Her father was Iron Eye, last of the Great Chiefs of the Omaha, also known as Joseph LaFlesche. Her mother was Mary Gale, daughter of Dr. John Gale, the first army physician in Nebraska. Dr. Picotte had both native and non-native medical influences in her family from birth.
Her parents set a priority on her education. She was sent with a sister to New Jersey in 1879 to attend the Elizabeth Institute for Young Ladies. She cared for anthropologist Alice Fletcher during an illness. Such strong female professional contacts likely encouraged her to pursue medicine. She next attended Hampton Normal and Agricultural Institute in Virginia 1884 – 1886. The school had an outreach program for native students. A key contact at this time was Martha M. Waldron, M.D., the physician for the school. Dr. Waldron assisted Susan with admission to medical school.
The decision to remain in the east and study medicine was not an easy decision. All through this time her tribe was in turmoil over cultural changes, diseases related to tuberculosis, alcohol, and nutrition, and government inattention to the needs of native peoples. She felt this personally through her brother who was busy documenting the traditions of the faltering tribe. Disease and death took a heavy toll on those who had been given charge of these traditions.
She attended Women's Medical College of Pennsylvania and graduated in 1889 at the top of her class. She was a delight to students and faculty alike. She received financial aid to attend from the Women's National Indian Association. 5 She was pleased that Omaha people became US citizens during this time. She did an internship at Women’s College during the years from 1889 – 1893. She took a government position serving the tribe and was a medical missionary during this time. She resigned her government position in 1983. She constantly wrote to local, regional, and national officials, asking for more support, more medical assistants, and more attention to the needs of her people. Dr. Susan assumed full time duties as a physician at the Omaha Reservation in 1984. Her home and medical office location was the Omaha Agency school, but her duties frequently took her out across the reservation and county by horseback or by buggy. She left a lighted lamp on in her window, to welcome patients at any hour who might need help. 3
She realized that a primary problem was lack of knowledge in Washington DC regarding the needs of the tribe. Dr. Picotte went on the lecture circuit in the United States and Europe with her sister Suzette to inform the public about the problems faced by Indian people. She pointed out that the way of life of the Omaha people was destroyed by the slaughter of the buffalo. She believed this was the root of many of the problems of the Omaha people. She also campaigned against the trust system, in which tribal property was held in trust by the federal government, because she believed it was detrimental to Indian self determination 4
She married Henry Picotte in 1894 and moved to Bancroft in the southern part of Thurston Co. She continued to care for natives and whites. She had two sons, Caryl and Pierre. She lost her husband to alcoholism in 1905 and returned with her sons to Walthill.
In 1906 Dr. Picotte's temperance work brought about a stipulation from Washington, D.C. that every property deed in communities on the Omaha reservation would prohibit the sale of alcohol.
She was the only native ever appointed as a medical missionary by the Presbyterian Board of Home Missions. 5
Dr. Picotte was also active in medical organizations. She was one of the founders of the Thurston County Medical Association. As county health officer, she was directly involved in public health issues. She lobbied the State Legislature for better public health laws. 5
She raised the $8000 in funds for the first hospital at the reservation which opened in 1913. This was the first such hospital that was not funded by the government. It was later named the Dr. Susan Picotte Memorial Hospital and served natives and whites for over 30 years and then elders another 20. 3
She suffered from a painful and degenerative bone disease that caused severe pain in her ear for about 20 years. She died a few months after surgery to attempt to correct this condition. 3
In addition to her pioneering medical career, Dr. Picotte was a church and community leader, public health advocate, and Indian rights activist. She translated at church services. Her life was devoted to promoting health, healing illness, serving community, and fostering respect between races. 3
“Susan truly had faced obstacles above and beyond those faced by nineteenth century white women, yet she overcame every one and dedicated her life to her grateful people. Her story is a litany of frontier vignettes of which classic legends are made, and it needs no embellishment. Dr. Susan could very well emerge as one of the more notable heroines in American History." Dennis Hastings, Omaha Tribe Historian From the foreward of Native American Doctor, the Story of Susan LaFlesche Picotte, by Jeri Ferris, 1991. ISBN 0-87614-443-1 (lib. bdg.), ISBN 0-87614-548-9 (pbk.), 88 pages. lernerbooks.com
References:
1. Full text of NLM source at http://www.nlm.nih.gov/exhibition/if_you_knew/if_you_knew_12.html
2. About her personal life and upbringing http://www.americanwest.com/pages/picotte.htm
3. Details on her practice and her ear disease, her activism, and more about the hospital she built from http://www.cfra.org/center/picotte.htm at the Center for Rural Affairs site
4. Her campaign for awareness of native problems, also links to purchasing books about her and other natives http://www.nativenashville.com/History/susan_laflesche.htm
5. Missionary, practice, and personal life http://www.usgennet.org/usa/ne/county/thurston/susan.html
The best solution for underserved areas are people like Susan LaFlesche Picotte that are dedicated young people from underserved areas who have a strong desire to return and serve. They need appropriate education, support, role model contact, and encouragement so that they can overcome all of the obstacles to a professional career. They will face incredible stress as they attempt to live in the medical world dictated by career choice, yet still relate at a number of levels with native people, as family, friend, translator of language and culture, encourager of others to follow in their footsteps, educator, and leader.