In July 2024, I had the chance to participate in an event at the National Academies of Science in Washington, D. C. The topic was how best to clean up the orphan oil and gas wells that can pollute the air and groundwater, and thus improve the living conditions for many people, especially those who suffer from socio-economic hardship.
The building was a majestic example of intricate Art Nouveau with stained glass, wrought iron, and lovely nooks and hidden galleries where tributes to the nation’s most visionary scientists could be found.
I was excited and inspired to happen upon a tribute to women scientists. I was deeply moved. One of the first to really catch my eye was Susan La Flesche Picotte. La Flesche was the first Native American woman to earn a degree as a medical doctor, returned home to build a system to provide medical care for the people of the Omaha nation, and to institute practices that would dramatically reduce communicable diseases.
She was born in June 1865 on the Omaha Reservation in what is now Nebraska. Her father, Joseph La Flesche (Iron Eyes) was chief of the Omaha tribe and her mother, Mary Gale (One Woman), encouraged their daughters to get an education. So Susan studied at a missionary school on the reservation before being accepted to study at the Elizabeth Institute for Young Ladies in New Jersey. From there, she matriculated at the Women’s Medical College of Pennsylvania, where she graduated as valedictorian in 1889.
After returning to the Omaha Reservation, La Flesche instituted a number of changes: She advocated the construction of a hospital and European-style frame houses to provide more ways to keep the patients in as sterile facilities as possible. She was a huge advocate of public health and encouraged families to install screens on doors and windows to keep disease-spreading flies and mosquitoes from entering. She discouraged the use of shared drinking cups at village wells, and was a dedicated physician, traveling great distances to see patients. She was able to achieve her great dream of having a hospital built in Walthill, Nebraska, on reservation land.
To me, La Flesche is an inspiring figure for many reasons. The most obvious is that of overcoming the odds to become a doctor and go back home to fight for better conditions and treatment for her people. She never gave up, even when her own poor health made it difficult.
While Susan La Flesche Picotte has had the great fortune to have been remembered for her efforts, it is very important to keep in mind that there are many unsung heroes, especially within communities that are under-represented, isolated, and historically under-served. It is a good idea to take a moment to think about those who made contributions, no matter how large or small, and to thank them.
