More Than a Word

Co-filmmakers John and Kenn Little (members of the Sioux Nation) take on the hot button topic of using derogatory Native American nicknames and imagery in sports, most conspicuously in the case of the Washington Redskins football franchise. Against a backdrop of indigenous tribes opposing the Dakota Access Pipeline, the Littles argue that team mascots are not a trivial issue but represent a legacy of genocide and broken treaties inflicted on the First Nations—even as they concede past use of the hateful word "redskin" even by natives. Playing out in the background is a lawsuit against the team's legal right to use a slur as a trademark, a crusade that ends with a shocking and ironic reversal in 2017. Although an interesting segment about the proud "geeks" at the first-ever Native-American-centered comic-con looks like it belongs in another documentary, this is a cogent exploration of a controversial subject. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (C. Cassady)