American Indian Lacrosse

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

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.

Acknowledgements Preface Prologue Carrier Dome, Syracuse University, 21 May 1989 1. Huron Country, 1637 2. "How the Bat Got Its Wings" 3. Iroquois Country, 1794 4. The Bishop's Crook and Other Misnomers 5. Ballistas and Cannonshot 6. Fort Michilimackinac, 1763 7. A Stake in the Game 8. The Overhead Flourish" and "The Pounce" 9. Fort Gibson, Indian Territory, 1834 10. "The Indian Gallery" 11. Breechclouts and Bare Feet 12. Cherokee Reservation 13. Little Brother of War 14. "It's a Toss-up" 15. Montreal, 1866 16. "Lo, the Poor Mohawk" Epilogue Niagara-Wheatfield High School, 1991 Appendix A Lacrosse Legends Appendix B Indiana Lacrosse Stick Making Notes Bibliographic Note Bibliography Illustration Credits Index