This book chronicles the story of sports among American Indians. Part 1 examines the nature and role of games in traditional Indian life, with five chapters on: Indian concepts of sport; ball games; foot racing; other sports; children's play; and games of chance. Part 2 looks at the emergence of Indians in modern sport, with five chapters on: pre-20th century sports; the role of early Indian schools; a description of the sports programs at the Carlisle Indian School and Haskell Indian Junior College; the story of Jim Thorpe; and brief biographies of prominent Indian athletes prior to 1930. Part 3 discusses recent developments, with three chapters on: diminished visibility of Indians in sports through the middle of the century and the reasons for this decline; brief biographies of prominent Indian athletes after 1930; and some encouraging signs in contemporary Indian sports. The author's afterword discusses controversies and actions around the use of Indian names and symbols by non-Indians in the public arena. Contains references and subject and author indexes. (ND)