This paper describes and analyzes an incident which occurred during observation and videotaping of an eighth-grade language arts class. This classroom observation was part of an ongoing case study of an eighth-grade teacher of Native American heritage. The vignette that is presented describes a fist fight that occurred between two male students in the classroom. The focus of the discussion is less on the altercation than on the reactions of the teacher and the students not only to the fight but also to the atmosphere of the classroom after the scuffle. The vignette describes how the teacher responded to the needs of her students and restored classroom order in a way that reflected her American Indian cultural background and heritage. (IAH)