Impact of Native American Woman Susan La Flesche Picotte on Native American Education

Impact of Native American Woman Susan La Flesche Picotte on Native American EducationA lot of attention has been focused on the native American woman, and whether she is seeing her rights or being treated unfairly in her personal and professional life, one thing is certain: Susan La Flesche Picotte has impacted a number of Native American female education issues. She is a member of the American Chieftain's Council, an organization that focuses on education for women. The council started with an executive board made up of eleven women who decided to set aside their own interests and concentrate on the issues affecting women. Of those eleven, seven are Native American. Picotte, who served as executive director from 1983 to 1993, focused on the issues and needs of women and girls in a number of ways.One of the things Picotte wanted to focus on was the way that women were treated in native society. Picotte brought awareness to the view that American Indian women were treated as second-cl ass citizens and have been for centuries. She also wanted to bring more information to light about the way women were being educated and how this changed over time.Some of the problems Picotte wanted to bring light to with the American Chieftain included gender inequality. There was a general attitude among the men that women didn't need education, but Picotte wanted to change this. She also wanted to address the issue of proper timing for women, which often meant that it was very difficult for women to decide when to have children and go back to school.One of the big goals of the American Chieftain was to promote good health and wellness for women, and to make sure that they had opportunities for advancement in their lives and careers. Picotte recognized that women's educational opportunities were limited because there weren't enough women teachers in the schools.Picotte wanted to help all native women, and especially Native American women, achieve their dreams and goals in the fut ure. She encouraged Native American women to pursue careers in medicine, teaching, law, business, nursing, architecture, and many other professions.Picotte's focus on the plight of native women and Native American education has had a significant impact on the way native people handle issues that affect them today. Many of the educational ideas that she advocated, including the activities of the American Chieftain, have been adopted by the Native American community.