Her Ruby Shoe Moment Susan La Flesche Picotte had a lifelong dream. She wanted to build a hospital on the Omaha Reservation in Nebraska. She was the first Native American doctor in America and served the medical needs of the Omaha people. But she couldn’t help anyone who needed acute care — the closest hospital was 30 miles away (a … Read More
Maria Tallchief
Her Ruby Shoe Moment Maria Tallchief was breathing hard as she took a deep bow. When she looked up she noticed that the entire audience was standing. She could actually feel the applause, since it shook the stage slightly. And she realized that she just gave the performance of a lifetime. It was November 27, 1949 — opening night of … Read More
Mary Golda Ross
Her Ruby Shoe Moment Mary Golda Ross looked up from her desk at Lockheed Missiles & Space and saw it was nearly 11:00 p.m. She was working late again on the complex calculations required for two spacecraft to successfully meet up in outer space in preparation for Gemini XII, NASA’s last Gemini Project mission. Mary was tired, but happy. She … Read More
Doris Leader Charge
She took a chance and said yes to an opportunity to leave her Lakota reservation and teach filmmakers about her language and culture. Her decision led to her spending months on a movie set, co-starring in the film, and standing on the stage at the Academy Awards sharing her heritage with millions of people. Jump back to 1991 and meet Doris Leader Counts…