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Susette La Flesche, later Susette LaFlesche Tibbles and also called Inshata Theumba, meaning "Bright Eyes" (1854–1903), was a well-known Native American writer, lecturer, interpreter, and artist of the
Omaha tribe The Omaha ( Omaha-Ponca: ''Umoⁿhoⁿ'') are a federally recognized Midwestern Native American tribe who reside on the Omaha Reservation in northeastern Nebraska and western Iowa, United States. There were 5,427 enrolled members as of 2012. The ...
in
Nebraska Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the southwe ...
. La Flesche was a progressive who was a spokesperson for Native American rights. She was of
Ponca The Ponca ( Páⁿka iyé: Páⁿka or Ppáⁿkka pronounced ) are a Midwestern Native American tribe of the Dhegihan branch of the Siouan language group. There are two federally recognized Ponca tribes: the Ponca Tribe of Nebraska and the Ponca ...
,
Iowa Iowa () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wisconsin to the northeast, Illinois to the ...
, French, and Anglo-American ancestry. In 1983, she was inducted into the Nebraska Hall of Fame. In 1994, she was inducted into the
National Women's Hall of Fame The National Women's Hall of Fame (NWHF) is an American institution incorporated in 1969 by a group of men and women in Seneca Falls, New York, although it did not induct its first enshrinees until 1973. As of 2021, it had 303 inductees. Induc ...
.


Early life and education

Susette, also called ''Inshata Theumba'' (Bright Eyes),Karen L. Kilcup, ed., ''Native American women's writing c. 1800–1924: An Anthology''
Malden, Massachusetts and Oxford, UK: Blackwell Publishers, 2000, p. 169. Retrieved April 27, 2010
was born in Bellevue Nebraska in 1854, the eldest daughter of five children born to
Joseph LaFlesche Joseph LaFlesche, also known as ''E-sta-mah-za'' or Iron Eye (1822–1888), was the last recognized head chief of the Omaha tribe of Native Americans who was selected according to the traditional tribal rituals. The head chief Big Elk had adopte ...
and his wife Mary Gale. Joseph was the son of the French
fur trader The fur trade is a worldwide industry dealing in the acquisition and sale of animal fur. Since the establishment of a world fur market in the early modern period, furs of boreal, polar and cold temperate mammalian animals have been the mos ...
Joseph La Flesche, a wealthy immigrant from France,Erin Pedigo, ''The Gifted Pen: the Journalism Career of Susette "Bright Eyes" La Flesche Tibbles''
Master's Thesis, University of Nebraska Lincoln, April 2011. Retrieved August 23, 2011
and his
Ponca The Ponca ( Páⁿka iyé: Páⁿka or Ppáⁿkka pronounced ) are a Midwestern Native American tribe of the Dhegihan branch of the Siouan language group. There are two federally recognized Ponca tribes: the Ponca Tribe of Nebraska and the Ponca ...
wife, ''Waoowinchtcha'', reportedly a relative of the Omaha chief Big Elk."Joseph La Flesche: Sketch of the Life of the Head Chief of the Omaha"
first published in the (Bancroft, Nebraska) ''Journal''; reprinted in ''The Friend'', 1889. Retrieved August 23, 2011
\After some years of trading with the Omaha while working with
Peter Sarpy Peter Abadie Sarpy (1805–1865) was the French-American owner and operator of several fur trading posts, essential to the development of the Nebraska Territory, and a thriving ferry business. A prominent businessman, he helped lay out the towns o ...
, the younger La Flesche was adopted as a son by the chief Big Elk. He named him successor to his position. La Flesche (Iron Eyes) became the last traditional chief of the
Omaha Omaha ( ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Nebraska and the county seat of Douglas County. Omaha is in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's 39th-largest city ...
. The La Flesches were a "prominent, affluent and acculturated family" among the Omaha. La Flesche and Mary stressed the importance of education for their children: Louis, Susette, Rosalie, Marguerite and Susan,Parins, James W. "Susette LaFlesche Tibbles"
In ''Native American Women: A Biographical Dictionary'', ed. Gretchen M. Bataille, Garland, 1993. Retrieved August 23, 2011
and "favored assimilation". They thought it offered the best future for their people. The La Flesche family supported the missionary schools and white teachers for their children. As chief, Joseph had a second wife ''Ta-in-ne'' (Elizabeth Esau), an Omaha woman, and they married around 1856. The following year, 1857, their son Francis La Flesche was born, followed by other children. From 1862 to 1869, La Flesche attended Presbyterian Mission Boarding Day School on the reservation where she learned to read, write, and speak in English as well as cook and sew. After the
Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their nam ...
mission school on the reservation closed, Susette La Flesche attended a girls' school in
Elizabeth, New Jersey Elizabeth is a city and the county seat of Union County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.New J ...
, where she was followed by her younger sisters Marguerite and Susan. Her writing skills were recognized and encouraged during her school years. Susette's siblings also became professionals:
Susan LaFlesche Picotte Susan La Flesche Picotte (June 17, 1865 – September 18, 1915, Omaha) was a Native American doctor and reformer in the late 19th century. She is widely acknowledged as one of the first Indigenous peoples, and the first Indigenous woman, to ea ...
became the first Native American physician and founded the first privately funded hospital on an
Indian reservation An Indian reservation is an area of land held and governed by a federally recognized Native American tribal nation whose government is accountable to the United States Bureau of Indian Affairs and not to the state government in which it ...
; and
Rosalie La Flesche Farley Rosalie La Flesche Farley (1861–1900), was a Native American known for advocating for autonomy of the Omaha Tribe. Farley nee La Flesche was born in 1862 on the Omaha Reservation. Her father Joseph La Flesche (1822–1888) was the head chi ...
became a financial manager for the Omaha nation, leasing grazing land that was excess to individual household needs. Marguerite LaFlesche Picotte was a teacher on the
Yankton Sioux The Dakota (pronounced , Dakota language: ''Dakȟóta/Dakhóta'') are a Native American tribe and First Nations band government in North America. They compose two of the three main subcultures of the Sioux people, and are typically divided into ...
reservation, having married Charles Picotte. Their half-brother
Francis LaFlesche Francis La Flesche (Omaha, 1857–1932) was the first professional Native American ethnologist; he worked with the Smithsonian Institution. He specialized in Omaha and Osage cultures. Working closely as a translator and researcher with the anthro ...
became an
ethnologist Ethnology (from the grc-gre, ἔθνος, meaning 'nation') is an academic field that compares and analyzes the characteristics of different peoples and the relationships between them (compare cultural, social, or sociocultural anthropology) ...
for the
Smithsonian Institution The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums and education and research centers, the largest such complex in the world, created by the U.S. government "for the increase and diffusion of knowledge". Founded ...
, writing about the Omaha and the Osage, and making original recordings of their traditional songs., Nebraska State Historical Society. Retrieved August 22, 2011


Career

As a young woman, Susette La Flesche became more interested in politics and soon graduated and learned how to speak English. She first worked as a teacher on the Omaha reservation. She had always wanted to become a teacher and after graduating from school at the Elizabeth Institute for Young Ladies in New Jersey, she returned home and was told she could not teach on the reservation. She then wrote to the Indian Commissioner who told her she could not teach without a certificate. She then requested the Indian agent on the Omaha reservation if she could leave the reservation so she could take the exam to get her certificate. He refused to give her permission but she left anyway and asked the Superintendent of Schools to give her the teaching tests. She received her certificate, submitted it to the Indian Commissioner who refused her again and then told her that she needed a "certificate of 'good moral character'" (Starita 2010). She then wrote her teachers at the New Jersey school and received letters documenting her "good moral character." She then dutifully sent her letters and certificate to the Indian Commissioner. He did not respond. She wrote again and threatened to take this story to the newspapers to which he finally relented and gave her a building and $20 a month. She gathered some Omaha students and became the first American Indian teacher on the Omaha reservation. She also wanted to teach them music and so she saved and bought an organ (paraphrased from Starita 2010). Since her paternal grandmother and uncle were Ponca, she and her father traveled to Oklahoma to investigate conditions after the tribe's forced removal from Nebraska to Indian Territory. (The US government had reassigned the Ponca land in Nebraska to the
Great Sioux Reservation The Great Sioux Reservation initially set aside land west of the Missouri River in South Dakota and Nebraska for the use of the Lakota Sioux, who had dominated this territory. The reservation was established in the Fort Laramie Treaty of 1868 ...
.) La Flesche worked with
Thomas Tibbles Thomas Henry Tibbles (May 22, 1840 – May 14, 1928)Menyuk, Rachel, and Thomas Henry Tibbles. “Biographical Note.” Introduction. In ''Thomas Henry Tibbles Papers'', 5–6. Suitland, Maryland: Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian, ...
, an editor with the Omaha ''World Herald'', to publicize the poor conditions they found at the southern reservation: the Ponca had been moved too late in the year to plant crops, the government was late with supplies and promised infrastructure and improvements, and
malaria Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease that affects humans and other animals. Malaria causes symptoms that typically include fever, tiredness, vomiting, and headaches. In severe cases, it can cause jaundice, seizures, coma, or death. S ...
was endemic in the area. Nearly one-third of the tribe died within the first two years as a result of the journey and conditions, among them the oldest son of Chief
Standing Bear Standing Bear (c. 1829–1908) (Ponca official orthography: Maⁿchú-Naⁿzhíⁿ/Macunajin;U.S. Indian Census Rolls, 1885 Ponca Indians of Dakota other spellings: Ma-chú-nu-zhe, Ma-chú-na-zhe or Mantcunanjin pronounced ) was a Ponca chief a ...
. The chief left the Indian Territory with some followers to bury his son in the traditional homeland of Nebraska. They were arrested and confined to
Fort Omaha Fort Omaha, originally known as Sherman Barracks and then Omaha Barracks, is an Indian War-era United States Army supply installation. Located at 5730 North 30th Street, with the entrance at North 30th and Fort Streets in modern-day North Omaha, ...
, by order of the federal government. Tibbles' coverage of the chief's imprisonment was instrumental in gaining Standing Bear ''pro bono'' legal services by two prominent defense attorneys, including the counsel for the
Union Pacific Railroad The Union Pacific Railroad , legally Union Pacific Railroad Company and often called simply Union Pacific, is a freight-hauling railroad that operates 8,300 locomotives over routes in 23 U.S. states west of Chicago and New Orleans. Union Paci ...
. Standing Bear filed a suit of ''
habeas corpus ''Habeas corpus'' (; from Medieval Latin, ) is a recourse in law through which a person can report an unlawful detention or imprisonment to a court and request that the court order the custodian of the person, usually a prison official, t ...
'' against the US government, challenging the grounds for his arrest. In 1879 La Flesche acted as Chief Standing Bears' interpreter during his trial at Fort Omaha, Nebraska. She also testified as to conditions on the reservation in Indian Territory. Standing Bear successfully challenged the lack of grounds of his arrest and imprisonment, arguing before the
United States District Court The United States district courts are the trial courts of the United States federal judiciary, U.S. federal judiciary. There is one district court for each United States federal judicial district, federal judicial district, which each cover o ...
that Indians were persons under the law, and had all the rights of US citizens. Tibbles attended and reported the case, which gained national attention. ''
Standing Bear v. Crook Standing Bear (c. 1829–1908) (Ponca official orthography: Maⁿchú-Naⁿzhíⁿ/Macunajin;U.S. Indian Census Rolls, 1885 Ponca Indians of Dakota other spellings: Ma-chú-nu-zhe, Ma-chú-na-zhe or Mantcunanjin pronounced ) was a Ponca chief a ...
'' (1879) was a landmark
civil rights Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from infringement by governments, social organizations, and private individuals. They ensure one's entitlement to participate in the civil and political life of ...
case, with the judge deciding that Indians had certain rights as "persons" and citizens under the US constitution. She began serving as a witness and interpreter on other cases where Native Americans sued the U.S government, Following the trial, La Flesche and her half-brother Francis accompanied Standing Bear and others on a speaking tour of the eastern United States, organized by Tibbles. In addition to taking turns interpreting for Standing Bear, Susette La Flesche spoke in her own right. During the tour, La Flesche and Tibbles also testified in Washington in 1880 before a Congressional committee about the Ponca removal. La Flesche spoke for the rights of Native Americans. They met prominent American writers, such as the poet
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (February 27, 1807 – March 24, 1882) was an American poet and educator. His original works include "Paul Revere's Ride", ''The Song of Hiawatha'', and ''Evangeline''. He was the first American to completely transl ...
and writer
Helen Hunt Jackson Helen Hunt Jackson (pen name, H.H.; born Helen Maria Fiske; October 15, 1830 – August 12, 1885) was an American poet and writer who became an activist on behalf of improved treatment of Indigenous peoples of the Americas, Native Americans by t ...
. In 1881 Jackson published a book about US treatment of Native Americans entitled ''A Century of Dishonor'', and in 1884 the novel ''Ramona'', based on Indian issues in
Southern California Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and Cultural area, cultural region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. It includes the Los Angeles metropolitan area, the second most po ...
. Longfellow reportedly said of La Flesche, "This could be
Minnehaha Minnehaha is a Native American woman documented in Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's 1855 epic poem ''The Song of Hiawatha''. She is the lover of the titular protagonist Hiawatha and comes to a tragic end. The name, often said to mean "laughing wat ...
", referring to the legendary Indian heroine in his poem ''
The Song of Hiawatha ''The Song of Hiawatha'' is an 1855 epic poem in trochaic tetrameter by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow which features Native American characters. The epic relates the fictional adventures of an Ojibwe warrior named Hiawatha and the tragedy of his l ...
.'' In 1887, La Flesche and Tibbles, by then married, accompanied Standing Bear on a 10-month speaking tour of England and
Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...
. La Flesche continued to act as the chief's interpreter. They were heard by many who wanted to learn more about the American Indian issues in the United States. After their return to Nebraska, LaFlesche and Tibbles became interested in the growing
Ghost Dance The Ghost Dance ( Caddo: Nanissáanah, also called the Ghost Dance of 1890) was a ceremony incorporated into numerous Native American belief systems. According to the teachings of the Northern Paiute spiritual leader Wovoka (renamed Jack Wilso ...
movement and issues among the restive
Sioux The Sioux or Oceti Sakowin (; Dakota language, Dakota: Help:IPA, /otʃʰeːtʰi ʃakoːwĩ/) are groups of Native Americans in the United States, Native American tribes and First Nations in Canada, First Nations peoples in North America. The ...
bands. They went to the
Pine Ridge Agency The Pine Ridge Indian Reservation ( lkt, Wazí Aháŋhaŋ Oyáŋke), also called Pine Ridge Agency, is an Oglala Lakota Indian reservation located entirely within the U.S. state of South Dakota. Originally included within the territory of the Gr ...
in 1890 and wrote about its conditions, as well as the Wounded Knee massacre. This work was likely the peak of LaFlesche's journalism career. She continued to publish articles and columns in papers in Nebraska, including her husband's
populist Populism refers to a range of political stances that emphasize the idea of "the people" and often juxtapose this group against " the elite". It is frequently associated with anti-establishment and anti-political sentiment. The term developed ...
''The Independent''.


Marriage

La Flesche and Thomas Tibbles were married in July 1881, after his wife died. During the next 14 years, the couple spent some time in Washington, DC (1893–1895), but lived mostly in Nebraska. While in Washington, La Flesche wrote and lectured on Native American issues. For instance, she gave an address to the Association for the Advancement of Women, on "The Position, Occupation, and Culture of Indian Women.""Susette LaFlesche Tibbles"
UXL Newsmakers, 2005. Retrieved August 23, 2011
In Nebraska, she spent time farming on her allotment of land as a tribal member on the
Omaha Reservation The Omaha Reservation ( oma, Umoⁿhoⁿ tóⁿde ukʰéthiⁿ) of the federally recognized Omaha tribe is located mostly in Thurston County, Nebraska, with sections in neighboring Cuming and Burt counties, in addition to Monona County in Iowa. A ...
and also writing. Her husband managed her father's property. They lived there most of the time.


Literary works

* "Nedawi: An Indian Story from Real Life" was published in the children's magazine ''St. Nicholas'' in 1881. "Nedawi" is thought to be the first short story written by an American Indian which was not based on legend.
"Omaha Legends and Tent Stories", "Wide Awake" (1883)
in Karen L. Kilcup, ed. ''Native American Women's Writing c. 1800–1924: An Anthology'' * With Fannie Reed Griffin, Bright Eyes co-authored the book ''Oo-mah-ha Ta-wa-tha'' (1898), and illustrated it. * Introduction to the novel ''Ploughed-Under: The Story of an Indian Chief, as Told by Himself'' (1881), by William Justin Harsha. She also illustrated the book, which she edited. * Introduction to ''The Ponca Chiefs'', by Thomas Tibbles. * La Flesche wrote columns for the ''Omaha World Herald'' and her husband's
Populist Populism refers to a range of political stances that emphasize the idea of "the people" and often juxtapose this group against " the elite". It is frequently associated with anti-establishment and anti-political sentiment. The term developed ...
paper, ''The Independent''.


Legacy and honors

* 1903, after her death, LaFlesche Tibbles was eulogized in the US Senate. * 1983, in recognition of her role as a spokesperson and writer about her people, Susette ("Bright Eyes") LaFlesche Tibbles was inducted into the Nebraska Hall of Fame. *1994, induction into the
National Women's Hall of Fame The National Women's Hall of Fame (NWHF) is an American institution incorporated in 1969 by a group of men and women in Seneca Falls, New York, although it did not induct its first enshrinees until 1973. As of 2021, it had 303 inductees. Induc ...
.National Women's Hall of Fame, Susette La Fresche
/ref>


References

*Peyer, Bernd. (1991). ''The Singing Spirit'', Univ of Arizona Press. Starita, Joe. (2010). "I Am A Man", St Martin's Griffin.


Further reading

* Clark, Jerry E. and Martha Ellen Webb, "Susette and Susan LaFlesche: Reformer and Missionary", in ''Being and Becoming Indian: Biographical Studies of North American Frontiers'', ed. James A. Clifton, Dorsey, 1989, pp. 137–150 * Green, Norma Kidd. ''Iron Eye's Family: The Children of Joseph LaFlesche''. Lincoln, Neb. 1969. * Wilson, Dorothy Clarke. ''Bright Eyes: The Story of Susette LaFlesche, An Omaha Indian''. New York: McGraw Hill, 1974. * Marion Marsh Brown, ''Susette La Flesche: advocate for Native American rights'' 1992 * Margaret Crary, ''Susette La Flesche: Voice of the Omaha Indians'', 1973


External links

* , Nebraska State Historical Society {{DEFAULTSORT:La Flesche, Susette 1854 births 1903 deaths Native American activists Native American writers La Flesche family Writers from Nebraska 19th-century American women writers 19th-century Native American women 20th-century Native American women 20th-century Native Americans American women activists Native American women writers Native American women artists