Susie Walking Bear Yellowtail facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Susie Walking Bear Yellowtail
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| Born |
Susie Walking Bear
January 27, 1903 near Pryor, Montana
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| Died | December 25, 1981 (aged 78) |
| Burial place | Lodge Grass Cemetery, Big Horn County, Montana |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | nurse |
| Years active | 1927-1979 |
| Known for | First Crow registered nurse in the U.S. |
Susie Walking Bear Yellowtail (1903–1981) was a brave and important woman. She was from the Crow and Sioux tribes. Susie was the first Crow person and one of the very first Native Americans to become a registered nurse in the United States. She worked for the Indian Health Service, bringing modern healthcare to her community. She also traveled across the U.S. to check on healthcare for Native American people. Susie Yellowtail received many awards for her work. She was even called the "Grandmother of American Indian Nurses."
Early Life and Education
Susie Walking Bear was born on January 27, 1903. Her birthplace was near Pryor, Montana, on the Crow Indian Reservation. Her mother, Jane White Horse, was Oglala Sioux. Her father, Walking Bear, was Crow. Susie's father passed away before she was born. Her mother later married Stone Breast.
Susie started school at a Catholic Mission in Pryor when she was eight. At age twelve, she became an orphan. She was then sent to the Indian Boarding School in Lodge Grass, Montana. In 1919, she went to Denver with a missionary named Francis Shaw. Susie was supposed to return to her school in Montana. But she ended up traveling with Mrs. Shaw to Muskogee, Oklahoma. There, she continued her studies at Bacone Indian School.
After finishing eighth grade, Susie went to Northfield, Massachusetts. Mrs. Clifford Field (formerly Francis Shaw) paid for her to attend Northfield Seminary. While studying, Susie worked as a nanny and maid. This helped her pay for her room and board.
School life was tough for Susie. The schedule was very demanding. The school also insisted she use the last name "Bear," which was culturally insensitive. In 1924, she was accepted to study nursing. She went to Franklin County Public Hospital in Greenfield, Massachusetts. She finished her training at Boston General Hospital.
Susie graduated in 1927. She became the first registered nurse of Crow heritage. She was also one of the first Native American nurses in the U.S. Other Native American nurses had graduated earlier. These included Elizabeth Sadoques Mason (Abenaki) in 1919, and Nancy Cornelius (Oneida Nation) in 1890.
A Career in Healthcare
After graduating in September 1927, Susie worked briefly in Greenfield. Then she took a nursing job in Oklahoma. Later, she did home healthcare for the Chippewa people in Minnesota. Soon after, she returned to the Crow reservation. In 1929, Susie Walking Bear married Thomas Yellowtail. He would become an important spiritual leader for their tribe.
Her first job in Montana was at the Indian Health Service Hospital. This hospital was located at the Crow Agency. For two years, she worked to improve healthcare for her tribe. She also fought for fair and respectful healthcare for Native American women.
Between 1930 and 1960, Susie Yellowtail worked as a consultant. She traveled all over the country. She wrote down problems she found in the Indian Health Service (IHS). Some issues included:
- Not enough healthcare buildings.
- Nurses who were not Native American could not speak with patients in their language.
- Unclean living conditions.
- Problems getting help from traditional healers.
- Healthcare only for Native Americans living on reservations.
Leaders in Washington knew about these problems. They relied on Susie Yellowtail's reports. Her reports helped them understand the needs and challenges of the healthcare system. She also helped sanitation engineers. She taught tribal members about the importance of hygiene. This helped prevent diseases.
Cultural Work and Honors
Susie Yellowtail was also active in cultural events. She was a dancer in a group called the Crow Indian Ceremonial Dancers. Her husband, Thomas Yellowtail, was also part of the group. In 1953, the group went on a tour in Europe. They performed in many countries like England, France, and Italy. They even spent a month performing in Paris in 1954.
Susie Yellowtail also served as the official chaperone for Miss Indian America. She did this from the start of the event until the 1970s.
Susie Yellowtail received many honors for her work:
- In 1962, President John F. Kennedy gave her the President’s Award for Outstanding Nursing.
- In 1965, she was named Mrs. American Indian.
- In 1968, she joined the Public Health Service's Advisory Committee on Indian Health.
- In 1970, she was featured in a documentary about the Indian Health Service.
- That same year, she and her husband were honored as "Outstanding Indian of the Year." This was for their leadership and service to the Native American community.
In 1972, Governor Forrest H. Anderson asked her to serve on the State Advisory Council for Vocational Education again. She believed Native people needed good education. This would help them get jobs like lawyers, doctors, and teachers. She wanted Native children and adults to get help from people who understood their culture. President Richard Nixon also appointed her to important committees.
Susie Yellowtail started the first professional group for Native American nurses. In 1978, the American Indian Nurses Association honored her. They called her the "Grandmother of American Indian Nurses."
Susie Yellowtail passed away on Christmas Day, 1981, in Wyola, Montana. After her death, she continued to be honored. In 1987, she was added to the Montana Hall of Fame. In 2002, she became the first Native American to be included in the American Nurses Association Hall of Fame.
