The Story of Susan La Flesche Picotte

From Homeward the Arrow’s Flight by Marion Marsh Brown

Illustrated by Diane Magnuson

Dr. Susan La Flesche Picotte was the first Native American doctor in the United States. She was a member of the Omaha tribe in Northeastern Nebraska. She lived from 1865-1915.

Word Knowledge … The ~le ending

title available unable miracle

All these words have a consonant plus the ~le ending.

Other examples are: simple, tackle, candle, and pickle.

Can you think of more??

Word Knowledge … Long /e/ sound

teach siege sleek February

Notice the different spellings for the Long /e/ sound…

teach ( ea ), siege ( _ie_ ), sleek ( ee ), February ( _y)

Word Knowledge … multiple meanings

reservation present point drift

Reservation can mean – land set aside by the government for Native American tribes, doubt (I have my reservations about you), or a dinner arrangement.

Present can mean – here, a gift, (when pronounced pre-zent, it means display or show).

Point can mean – the main idea, a place (near water), indicate (like point to)

Drift can mean – a pile (like a snow drift), general idea (I get your drift), or move slowly (fog drifts through the trees).

Look for other multiple meaning words in the story!

Word Knowledge … /sh/ sound spelled _ti_, _ci_, or sh. These words are found in the story. physician instruction directions accomplish

Notice how the /sh/ sound is spelled in each word…

Physician (_ci_), instruction (_ti_), directions (_ti_), accomplish (sh)

Word Knowledge Sentences

1. We will be unable to pay any additional money.

What is the subject of this sentence? Who is it talking about?

What part of speech is the subject? Noun? Verb? Pronoun? Adjective?

A: “We” is the subject. “We” is a pronoun (takes the place of a noun).

2. Susan was soon inundated with a siege of colds, grippe, and pneumonia.

Are there any words here you do not recognize? How do you pronounce some of the difficult ones? Discuss “inundated”, “siege”, “grippe”, and “pneumonia”.

Word Knowledge Sentences

3. The Whitefeathers lived on the northernmost edge of the reservation.

Find the adjective in this sentence. Remember adjectives describe a noun. Answer: northernmost Notice it is a compound word.

4. A swimming coach will give instruction on how to swim.

Which word in this sentence contains the /sh/ sound?Which spelling does it use? (_ci_, _ti_, or sh )

Selection Vocabulary

• res-er-va-tion

• phy-si-cian

• om-in-ous

• man-eu-vered

• des-o-late-ly

Susan’s father, Joseph “Iron Eye” La Flesche

Selection Vocabulary: reservation Use context clues, word structure, and/or apposition to determine the meaning.

She told Rosalie, her sister, she wanted the position of reservation physician.

A reservation is land set aside by the government and is where some Native Americans live.

reservation: (noun) government land set aside for Native Americans to live on. (p.288)

Selection Vocabulary: physician Use context clues, word structure, and/or apposition to determine the meaning.

There are no funds available except for your present salary as physician to the government school.

The physician treated her first patient this morning.

Physician: (noun) doctor. (p.289)

Selection Vocabulary: ominous Use context clues, word structure, and/or apposition to determine the meaning.

As she turned to the schoolhouse, she noted that the sky looked ominous.

The howling wind sounded ominous in the dark alley.

Ominous: (adjective) threatening. (p.291)

Selection Vocabulary: maneuvered Use context clues, word structure, and/or apposition to determine the meaning.

Suddenly, having maneuvered the drift, the pony stopped.

The student driver maneuvered her car into the narrow parking space.

maneuvered: (verb) skillfully moved around.

(p. 298)

Selection Vocabulary: desolately Use context clues, word structure, and/or apposition to determine the meaning.

“I thought maybe if he could make it till Spring…” Marguerite said desolately.

She looked desolately at the mess she had to clean up after the party.

desolately: (adverb) dismally or without hope. (p. 303)

To Learn more about Susan La Fleshe Picotte and life on her reservation, use these links.1. www.nebraskastudies.org

2. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/exhibition/if_you_knew/if_you_knew_12.html

3.http://www.unmc.edu/Community/ruralmeded/RMEPost/just_the_facts_susan_picotte.htm

4. http://www.twofrog.com/rezsch.html

Omaha tribal chief, Standing Bear.

Dr. Susan La Flesche Picotte Memorial Hospital in Walthill, Nebraska.