Against the Current and More

Nebraska Stories

Air Date: 02/16/2015

"Against the Current" As a child in frontier Nebraska, Susan La Flesche witnessed the death of a member of her tribe--because the agency doctor never showed up. The experience drove her to accomplish the seemingly impossible--to become the first Native American doctor and to build her own hospital on the Omaha reservation. Omaha means "against the current" -- so she was just being true to her Omaha culture. Two members of her tribe, Wehnona Stabler and Lisa Drum, tell Doctor Susan's story from the Omaha point of view. UNL Professor of History, Margaret Jacobs, offers insights into the Presbyterian Mission School on the reservation. This is an excerpt from the NET documentary Medicine Woman. Producer: Christine Lesiak "The Warrior's Pen" Sharon Robino-West, a former Marine, is developing her writing skills to help her son. He, too, is a Marine veteran who suffers from PTSD related to serving in the Afghanistan War. Sharon is a student in the Warrior Writers Workshop (Omaha), a program for active duty and military veterans. The free workshop for members of the military and their families provides a safe environment where vets like Robino-West can explore their personal experience as they learn the art of writing fiction and nonfiction. For some workshop participants, it may even help heal the quiet wounds of battle. Producer: Jackie Sojico "Restoring the Self" A young woman recovering from a brain injury due to a cancerous tumor discovers the healing power of art therapy in an effort to relearn basic life and coping skills. Producer: Brian Seifferlein "Kickstarting a Comeback" After straining his vocal cords, Philip Zach never thought he'd sing again. He toured the world, then sat in silence. Now as his voice heals, he puts the final touches on a musical journey fueled in part by Kickstarter. Producer: Gavin Felix "Dream Car Auction" The sights and sounds of a one-of-a-kind sale of rare vintage cars from the last century. Ten thousand people from all over the world converge on Pierce, Nebraska and spend 2.8 million dollars. Producer: Kay Hall See more stories like this at http://www.NETnebraska.org/nebraskastories