A troubled Vietnam veteran embarks on a journey to California to open a worm farm and prove his self-worth, meeting a woman along the way who helps him find himself.

Billy Jack is put on trial for two killings he committed in self-defense while protecting the Freedom School from small-town Arizona bigots. He is convicted and sent to prison, but the Freedom School thrives under Jean Roberts. When Billy Jack is paroled for good behavior, he returns home to explore his tribal spiritual heritage just as the school comes under fire from local officials.