9 Inspiring Native American Women Who Have Gone Tragically Overlooked In The History Books

Susan La Flesche Picotte became one of the few women of her day to go to medical school.

From fierce female warriors to brave political activists, take a look at some of the most powerful and influential Native American women throughout history.

Lesser known to history are women like Susan La Flesche Picotte, who went to medical school to treat her people, Buffalo Calf Road Woman, who knocked George Armstrong Custer off his horse, and Wilma Mankiller, who became the first female Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation.

As Wilma Mankiller once put it: “Every step I take forward is on a path paved by strong Indian women before me.”

By Kaleena Fraga | Edited By John Kuroski