OFFICE OF INDIAN AFFAIRS
RECEIVED
NOVEMBER 18, 1907
File: 162
90863
St. Vincent's Hospital
Sioux City, Iowa
November 15, 1907
Hon. Francis E. Leupp:
Dear Sir:
I am an Omaha Indian and have been working as medical missionary among the
Omahas but has broken down from overwork. Altho' I have been here several weeks
I have kept in touch with affairs at Macy. I know what a small figure one
affairs cut with - all the Department has one its hands, but I also know that if
you knew the conditions and circumstances, to be remedied you would do all you
could to remedy these. I understand Mr. Commons, our Agent has been cut off from
a stenographer.
It takes most of his time answering necessary correspondence and the offer of
the Indians have to be neglected.
Mr. Commons is a good man, and does all he can for the Indians, but under the
circumstances he can't do clerical work and attend to the Indian wants too, so
we need a stenographer.
Mr. Commons has told one nothing of this.
Second.
We need another Field Matron besides the one we have now, Miss Collett. She is
doing fine work and the Indians like her very much, but there is more than
enough work for all other one. We would like to have Miss Sallie Hagan, who is
day school teacher, and is know to Major Lanabe personally. The Indians are
working better and so drinking much less they are beginning to get interested in
the church and now is the time when they are beginning to climb up that they
need the most help and this help can be given to them through the field matrons.
We would want Miss Hagan, for the Indians like her and she is sympathetic, and
they would allow her to do things for them, they would not allow anyone else to
do.
I asked Mr. Commons and Major Hutchings if they thot the Government would
allow us one - they spoke of a man but it=s essentially a woman's work, and the
man would have to be a second Henry Drummond, (and such men are scarce) in order
to work successfully among the Indians.
I had intended to do so much work this fall - the Doctor tells me I cannot do any medical work for 6 mos. and I feel that something must be done for the people such as our field matron is doing now, real missionary work, for you can't rush at the Indians with an open Bible any more than you can the white people.
Will you please give us Miss Hagan besides Miss Collett?
Third: The spread of Tuberculosis among my people is something terrible - it
shows itself in the lungs, kidneys, alimentary track, blood, brain and glands -
so many, many, of the young children are marked with it in some form. The
physical degeneration is 20 years, among my people is terrible. I have talked
with them and done all I could to prevent infection and contagion, but I want to
know if the Gov=t. can't do for us, what it did for the Sioux, in preventing the
spread of this White Plague.
The financial outlay for any of these three requests is but small compared to
the amount of good it will bring forth in my people.
Most Respectfully -
Susan LaFlesche Picotte, M.D.
Summary of her life at Just the Facts about Susan LaFlesche Picotte
see her hand written text and handwriting on the first page of her letter at
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/exhibition/if_you_knew/images.dir/letter-1a.jpg
other pages follow, click on them at
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/exhibition/if_you_knew/if_you_knew_12.html
Her illness was a chronic ear condition lasting 20 years. Possibly travel of any kind had become difficult for her.
The reply follows:
M
90863-1907
File 162
_ _ _ _ _ _
November 20, 1907
Subject:
Stenographer for
Omaha Supt., and medical mission
_ _ _ _ _ _
Dr. Susan La Flesche Picotte,
St. Vincents Hospital,
Sioux City, Iowa.
Dear madam:
Your letter of November 15 I have read with much interest.
A stenographer has already been authorized for the Omaha Superintendent, who
will relieve Mr. Commons of some of the clerical work which now absorbs time
which he needs to give to the Indians personally.
Owing to lack of funds it is quite impracticable to assign another field
matron at this time to the Omahas; but the need of which you speak will, I hope,
be met, partially at least, through the National Indian Association. The
Connecticut branch of that Association is purposing to establish a medical
mission among the Omahas and to give particular attention to tubercular
diseases. I wrote to Mrs. Sara T. Kinney, president of the Branch, that I
thought she would receive from you hearty cooperation and efficient help in the
new enterprise. I am sorry to know that you are now laid aside by illness from
active work among your people, but I hope you will be able to resume it in a few
months. They never needed the kind of help which you can give more than they do
now, and when you recover both you and the contemplated mission can re-inforce
each other's work most efficiently.
Yours respectfully,
(Signature) F. E. Leupp
Commissioner.
(Initials of M. N. C.)
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