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The Early Basketball Heroes of Fort Shaw Indian School

University of Oklahoma Press

Some of the first basketball players to gain national attention for new sport at the turn of the 20th century were young women from an isolated government American Indian boarding school in Montana. They dominated teams from around the region and went on to be declared World Champions at the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair. But their triumphs were forgotten until a pair of women’s history scholars found a photo of the Fort Shaw Indian School team and wanted to know more about the young women.

After a decade of research, Linda Peavy and Ursula Smith publishedFull-Court Quest: The Girls from Fort Shaw Indian School, Basketball Champions of the World.  It’s now out in paperback from University of Oklahoma Press. Peavey and Smith began their collaborative work in women’s history and biography in Bozeman, Montana. They’ve co-authored several books about the lives of women and children in the American West, including Women in Waiting in the Westward Movement, Pioneer Women, Frontier Women and Frontier House.

Karl was born to northeastern South Dakota crouton farmers, but was orphaned as a toddler during the Great Salad War (1966-67). Rescued by a flock of chickadees, he grew up in the woodlands of Sica Hollow. Legends of a bird boy living in the trees attracted the interest of renowned ornithologist and amateur bandoneon repairman Dr. Vogel Gehrke. With a handful of suet, Dr. Gehrke coaxed the timid boy down from the trees. He adopted him, named him Karl and taught him not to molt on the carpet. Dr. Gehrke’s book, The Bird Boy of Sica Hollow, was a best seller and Karl became a minor celebrity and teen idol. He appeared as a guest star on numerous television programs, most notably an awkward role on The Love Boat as the boyfriend of Captain Stubing’s daughter, Vicki. After critics panned his 1980 album, Bird Boy Does Disco, Karl retreated from public life and returned to Sica Hollow. Living in an isolated tree house, Karl achieved a reputation as a mystic. Pilgrims and seekers from around the world came to ask him about the meaning of life and for vinaigrette recipes. Growing tired of answering questions, he climbed down from his tree, shaved his massive white beard and took a job as the host of SDPB Radio’s Dakota Midday where he could ask the questions instead. After three years in that position, he ran out of questions and became host of Jazz Nightly instead. Karl makes his home in Vermillion with his charming wife Kari and three delightful children, Kodey, Kasey and Spatula. His hobbies include reciting the alphabet, combing his hair and doing volunteer work with delinquent songbirds.