Jessica Ann Rickert became the first female American Indian dentist in America upon graduating with a DDS from the

University of Michigan School of Dentistry The University of Michigan School of Dentistry is the dental school of the University of Michigan, a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Established in 1875, the School of Dentistry engages in oral and craniofacial health c ...

in 1975. She was one of only six women in a class of 140 students. She is a member of the

Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation ( pot, Mshkodéniwek, formerly the Prairie Band of Potawatomi Indians) is a federally recognized tribe of Neshnabé (Potawatomi people), headquartered near Mayetta, Kansas. History The ''Mshkodésik'' ("People of t ...

, and a direct descendant of the Indian chief Wahbememe (Whitepigeon).

Early life and education

Rickert grew up in

Wyoming, Michigan Wyoming is a city in Kent County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 76,501 at the 2020 census. Wyoming is the second most-populated community in the Grand Rapids metropolitan area and is bordered by Grand Rapids on the northeas ...

. She graduated high school in 1968. Initially dismissed by her high school guidance counselor when she said she wanted to study medicine, Rickert went on to attend the

University of Michigan , mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth" , former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821) , budget = $10.3 billion (2021) , endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...

for her undergraduate degree and her Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) degree.

Career

In the 1980s, Rickert learned from George Blue Spruce, the first American Indian dentist in the United States and Assistant Surgeon General, that she was the first female American Indian dentist. Additionally, she is also a founder of the Society of American Indian Dentists, which was founded in 1990, as well as the Native American Student Association. She encourages American Indians and other underrepresented students to consider dentistry and has worked with the

Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians The Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians ( oj, Gichi-wiikwedong Odaawaag miina ojibweg) is a federally recognized Native American tribe located in northwest Michigan on the Leelanau Peninsula. Sam McClellan is the current tribal c ...

and the Saginaw Chippewa tribes for education and dental services.

Honors

Rickert received the American Dental Association's Access Recognition Award in 2005 for her dental advice column featured in American Indian newspapers. She was inducted into the

Michigan Women's Hall of Fame The Michigan Women's Hall of Fame (MWHOF) honors distinguished women, both historical and contemporary, who have been associated with the U.S. state of Michigan. The hall of fame was founded in 1983 by Gladys Beckwith and is sponsored by the Michi ...

in 2009. In 2022, she received the

American Dental Education Association The American Dental Education Association (ADEA) is a non-profit organization that works to further the education of dental professionals and the advancement of academic dental programs in Canada and the United States. Founded in 1923 as the Amer ...

’s William J. Gies Award for Achievement.

References

Native American people from Michigan People from Wyoming, Michigan 20th-century American dentists American dentistry academics Women dentists Native American health University of Michigan alumni 20th-century Native American women 20th-century Native Americans 21st-century Native American women 21st-century Native Americans Living people Year of birth missing (living people) Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation people 21st-century American dentists {{NorthAm-native-bio-stub