Medicine Woman

Documentary | Christine Lesiak & Princella P. RedCorn

What does it take to heal a people? That’s the question at the heart of Medicine Woman, a one-hour PBS documentary interweaving the lives of Native healers of today with that of the first Native American doctor. Born on the Nebraska frontier in 1865, Susan La Flesche Picotte studied medicine at a time when few women dared. She graduated first in her Philadelphia class and returned home to a shattered world. She spent the rest of her life working to help her people become whole again.

57 minutes

Release: November. 1 2016

Expiration: November 1, 2021

Distributor: PBS Plus

NOLA: MEDW 000

Rights: Unlimited releases over five (5) years beginning 11/01/2016;

SCH/1YR (for K‐12); and non‐commercial cable rights.

Christine Lesiak

Producer/Director/Writer
Christine Lesiak is a Peabody Award winning producer who has produced, written and directed numerous award-winning documentaries, specializing in history and the humanities.  Her most recent project, Yours, Willa Cather, is a multi-faceted exploration of Cather’s letters, featuring a documentary, an iBook, and an interactive website. Standing Bear’s Footsteps premiered on PBS in 2012. Lesiak is currently producing and writing Medicine Woman, a documentary about healing in Native America.

Princella P. RedCorn

Producer/Director
RedCorn (Omaha) has extensive experience in all aspects of media production, including research, documentary production, shooting, sound engineer, editing, youth media workshops, and the creation of film websites, educational curriculum and digital learning objects.  She worked as Associate Producer on Standing Bear’s Footsteps, assisting NET Television’s Executive Producer Christine Lesiak with script development, production planning and providing logistical support throughout the production. Princella is a member of the Omaha Tribe of Nebraska and a graduate of Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Broadcast Theater. 

Patrick Aylward

Editor/Director/Videographer
Pat Aylward has been shooting and editing award winning documentary films for the past 25 years. His most recent projects have been Willa Cather-- the Road is All, for American Masters, Emery Blagden and His Healing Machines, and Standing Bear's Footsteps, all of which have been broadcast on PBS prime time.

Walt Pourier

Vice Chair

Walt is Oglala Lakota and created the logo for Urban Rez. He is Creative Director, owner of Nakota Designs Advertising Designs and Graphics. Executive Director of the Stronghold Society nonprofit dedicated to instilling hope and supporting youth movements through Live Life Call To Action Campaigns.

lynn palmanteer-holder

Lynn Palmanteer-Holder, an Indigenous plateau woman of North Central Washington and member of eight of twelve Tribes of the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation. Lynn recently retired as inaugural Director of Tribal Government Affairs for Washington State Board of Community and Technical Colleges, the state’s oversight agency of 34 CTCs.  She is a highly accomplished professional that spans over 40 years. She is an experienced educator that has a demonstrated history across K12, post-secondary & higher education as a teacher, school counselor, superintendent, researcher, and professor. Also, she has diverse experience as an entrepreneur, Tribal leader and administrator. She is skilled in curriculum and program development, facilitating government to government relationships that led to formal partnerships between state institutions and Tribes developing custom programs. Lynn has served on many boards and has been recognized for various statewide, and national awards. She has several scholarly publications and has done various conference presentations and speaking engagements, at the local, national and international level. Lynn holds a Ph.C. (ABD) in Social Welfare Policy from University of Washington. She earned her M.Ed., with a concentration in counseling psychology from Washington State University and B.Ed., in K12 Education from Eastern Washington University. Lynn is a wife of 49 years, a mother of three adult professional children, granny of 10 and great granny to two. Lynn and her husband are high school sweethearts, and together enjoy time with their 15+ two-legged blessings.