Set in the late 1960s, Billy Jack is a half-white, half-Indian ex-Green Beret Vietnam vet-turned-pacifist, and Hapkido expert (a combination of Tae Kwon Do and Aikido) who having gotten in touch with his Native American roots returns from the war to take up residence on a reservation outside a conservative Arizona town, where he quickly becomes the protector of the wild mustangs and the progressive Freedom School run by Jean Roberts, along with the Native Americans on the reservation.Along with Roberts and the pupils, Billy Jack has frequent altercations with local bigoted Sheriff Stuart Posner and his son, Bernard, as well as Deputy Sheriff Mike, whose pregnant 15-year-old Barbara had been found in Haight-Ashbury running away from her abusive father, and was brought home. When she arrives, she suffers yet another beating after telling her father what's going on, runs away again, and is found asleep in a field by Billy Jack, who helps hide her at the Freedom School.At first Bernard Posner seems like a sympathetic character when he refuses to shoot any of the wild mustangs on the reservation to sell as dog food like his father wants him to, but after helping to cause much trouble for the Freedom School in the hopes of making his father proud of him by harassing female pupils and verbally and physically abusing other Freedom School pupils, especially the Native Americans; raping Roberts, and ultimately shooting and killing Martin, a gentle Native American who befriended Barbara and taught her that there are ways to gain love other than through easy sex, it's clear that Bernard deserves little or no sympathy, although he does admit to wanting to make his father proud despite hating him.Deputy Sheriff Mike, as well as the Posners and many if not most of the townspeople, hate both non-whites and peace-loving whites. The hatred and resentment grows as it becomes known that the Freedom School is not only open to at-risk kids of all racial/ethnic backgrounds, but is also an unconventional school with few rules.In the wake of Martin's murder, as well as the rape of Jean, despite Jean's warnings about the possible resulting dissolution of the Freedom School and harm to its pupils. Billy Jack hunts down Bernard Posner, finds him having sex with a 13-year-old in a shabby hotel room on the edge of town, and orders the girl to leave the premises. Bernard then tries to kill Billy Jack by shooting at him, and Billy Jack, in turn, kills Bernard with a karate chop across the throat.Billy Jack and Barbara hide from the law in an old church on the edge of town. A shootout between Billy Jack and the law ensues, in which Billy Jack shoots and kills Deputy Mike. Billy Jack, who suffers a gunshot wound to the stomach, stays in the church with Barbara, who is slightly wounded by gunfire. After hiding out in the church all night, Billy Jack finally surrenders to the law and gives himself up, under several conditions:A) That the Freedom School be allowed to run for the next ten years with no interference, with Jean Roberts beginning a ten-year contract as principalB) That Jean Roberts gets custody of Barbara and becomes Barbara's legal guardianC) That an annual press conference be held by the governor's office to report on the school's progressThe conditions are OK'd by Washington, and, after tearful hugs and goodbyes between him and Jean, Billy Jack allows himself to be handcuffed and taken out to be tried for the killings of Bernard Posner and Barbara's father, Mike. Meanwhile, the kids at the Freedom School gather outside to see Billy Jack off, giving the Black Power raised-fist and shedding tears.