Susan La Flesche Picotte was from a reservation family straddling two worlds. Interest in medicine led to studies at the Women’s Medical College of Pennsylvania. She became the first Native American female doctor and practiced at the Omaha Reservation, caring for over a thousand. She married, moved to Bancroft, and set up a medical practice. After her husband died, she founded a reservation hospital at Walthill. She was a lifelong advocate for better health care for her people. In this lesson, students will discover information about Susan La Flesche Picotte.

As we walk through the information about Susan's life, have students try to imagine what it would be like to know her and, even more importantly, what it would be like to be this amazing Nebraskan. We will look at her life from her point of view. In other words, we'll put ourselves "in her shoes”, and discover why she is considered a Notable Nebraskan.