American Indian Lacrosse

Thomas Vennum, senior ethnomusicologist emeritus at the Center for Folklife Programs and Cultural Studies, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., is the author of Lacrosse Legends of the First Americans. Retired and living in Tucson, Arizona, he continues research among Indian tribes in Sonora, Mexico, specifically the Seri.

In a mix of narrative, interviews, analysis, and tribal lore, Mr. Vennum has crafted a complex and entertaining book... American Indian Lacrosse offers a sweeping new perspective on a game that has functioned, at various times, as symbolic combat ritual, healing ceremony, gambling spectacle, war ruse, and intercollegiate sport. Washington Times Brings the game's cultural complexities and historical roles to life... A major contribution to the cultural history of sport. American Anthropologist This exhaustive, well-documented work serves as a definitive study of the sport in its traditional form. A worthy addition to core subject and Native American collections. Library Journal This book presents a rare account. Book News 2008 An important study and a good read... Vennum's writing style is an alluring blend of hygienic academic analysis and historical accounts, narratives and interviews, a style used deliberately throughout the book... His book is a compelling journey into the historical exploration of an old team sport. -- Halvdan Haugsbakken idrottsforum.org/recensioner 2009 An interesting recount of the various ways that Indians utilized the game in their cultural, social, and curative worlds. -- Joe Watkins Journal of Anthropological Research 2009

• AcknowledgementsPrefacePrologue Carrier Dome, Syracuse University, 21 May 19891. Huron Country, 16372. "How the Bat Got Its Wings"3. Iroquois Country, 17944. The Bishop's Crook and Other Misnomers5. Ballistas and Cannonshot6. Fort Michilimackinac, 17637. A Stake in the Game8. The Overhead Flourish" and "The Pounce"9. Fort Gibson, Indian Territory, 183410. "The Indian Gallery"11. Breechclouts and Bare Feet12. Cherokee Reservation13. Little Brother of War14. "It's a Toss-up"15. Montreal, 186616. "Lo, the Poor Mohawk"Epilogue Niagara-Wheatfield High School, 1991Appendix A Lacrosse LegendsAppendix B Indiana Lacrosse Stick MakingNotesBibliographic NoteBibliographyIllustration CreditsIndex