- first Native American woman to earn a medical degree
- worked to educate people on public health issues
Born in 1865, Susan La Flesche was a doctor and activist. Although she lived on the Omaha Reservation, her parents did not give Susan an Omaha name because they were fearful of discrimination against Native Americans. When she was young, LaFlesche saw a Native American woman die because a white doctor refused to treat her and this is said to have motivated her to get her medical degree.
LaFlesche studied at the Women’s Medical College of Pennsylvania and graduated valedictorian of her class. Her dream was to open a hospital and take care of her reservation. She returned home and started working as a physician in the Omaha Agency and she was the only physician in the reservation which was 1,350 miles long. LaFlesche was also an activist for the temperance movement, and she advocated for proper hygiene to prevent disease. Before she passed away, she got enough donations to build the hospital of her dreams.
Susan LaFlesche was the first Native American to earn a medical degree. She worked to inform her community about health issues and treated patients with tuberculosis, influenza, cholera, and trachoma. LaFlesche passed away in 1915 due to bone cancer, but will forever be remembered for changing the face of medicine. The reservation hospital was named in her honor and the Dr. Susan LaFlesche Picotte Memorial Hospital was declared a U.S. National Historic Landmark in 1993. Unfortunately, the memorial for LaFlesche is now on the list of the top 11 most endangered places. To donate to save this memorial, please use the link below. It is important to keep Susan LaFlesche’s legacy alive.
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