Honoring America’s First Native American Physician by restoring her 1913 hospital to create a community center and wellness clinic for the Omaha Tribe and the residents of the Walthill area.

Black and white Dr. Susan La Flesche Picotte Portrait

DR. SUSAN LA FLESCHE PICOTTE

Healer, Trailblazer, Warrior. One woman was all these and more to her Omaha Tribe and to the Walthill community.

In 1913, Dr. Susan fulfilled her lifelong dream of building a local hospital – after raising over $9,000. Today, Dr. Susan’s hospital building is at risk. It is empty and in need of restoration.

Currently, great strides are underway in raising funds and restoring the site to a place that honors its history and addresses the needs of today’s community. Once the restoration is complete, the building will provide a place to learn and celebrate culture, pursue business opportunities, and offer health and social services. The restoration project will save and repurpose the structure, and serve as a modern-day community center helping to meet the needs of the Omaha Nation and Walthill community. 

Join us in keeping Dr. Susan’s legacy alive.

We are currently undergoing interior restoration with an expected completion date in early 2025.

A corridor of the Dr. Susan La Flesche Picotte Center with large windows showing the landscape
The present day exterior of the Dr. Susan La Flesche Picotte hospital
Black and white image of the exterior of the Dr. Susan La Flesche Picotte's hospital from the past

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Well, hello there, wéagthíⁿwiⁿ month!📆 Nope, wéagthíⁿwiⁿ is not the Omaha name for November. wéagthíⁿwiⁿ translates to "the 11th one," in honor of our 11th month dedicated to honoring the Omaha
🦌 It’s mid-October, which means hunting season has begun in Nebraska! For Dr. Susan and the Omaha people, hunting was essential for food, clothing, shelter—and spiritual practice. Omaha had unique names for different hunting styles, in
Happy Indigenous Peoples’ Day! 🌿 Indigenous Peoples’ Day celebrates, recognizes, and honors the traditions and cultures of Indigenous people. 💛 This is especially meaningful to us as our sole mission is to honor Dr. Susan La Flesche P
📖 October is National Book Month, and we're excited to celebrate one of our favorite unique holidays! 📚 Fun fact: Dr. Susan and her sister Marguerite founded a library on the Macy Reservation to provide their community with valuable educational re
Next up in our Omaha language journey: October, or Táxti kigthíxai-kʰe! 🦌 Táxti kigthíxai-kʰe translates to "the moon when the deer rut," another nod to nature and animal mating seasons. 📆 Celebrating each mo
As another school year begins, we’re reminded of the profound impact education had on Dr. Susan’s life. 📝Her father believed in the importance of education and instilled this in all 6 of his children. This early influence nurtured her
⚕️Did you know Dr. Susan was often more successful with childbirth cases in her area than the male doctors? 🐴Or that she had a horse named Pie? 📚Or that she and her sister helped establish the first library on the Macy Reservation? Dr. Susan&rsq
Dr. Susan died on September 18, 1915. Not only did she write her name in history as the first woman and Native American doctor in the United States, but she was also so much more. 👉🏽She helped establish a reading room for people on the reservatio

A Video of Our Story

Discover more about the inspiring journey and noteworthy achievements of Dr. Susan.

A black and white image of exterior of The Picotte Center

ENDANGERED HISTORIC PLACES

A member of the Omaha tribe speaking into a microphone at the Omaha Powwow

THE COMMUNITY OF WALTHILL

A black and white feather with colorful beadwork on the shaft

NATIVE SONG

LEARN ABOUT THE RICH HISTORY OF DR. SUSAN FROM RESOURCES WHO HAVE SHARED HER STORY.

A black and white portrait of Dr. Susan La Flesche Picotte, the first Native American Physician

“WE WHO ARE EDUCATED HAVE TO BE PIONEERS OF INDIAN CIVILIZATION. THE WHITE PEOPLE HAVE REACHED A HIGH STANDARD OF CIVILIZATION, BUT HOW MANY YEARS HAS IT TAKEN THEM? WE ARE ONLY BEGINNING: SO DO NOT TRY TO PUT US DOWN, BUT HELP US TO CLIMB HIGHER. GIVE US A CHANCE.”

— DR. SUSAN La FLESCHE PICOTTE —