I think that “More Than A Word” was a very fascinating movie. The initiative to learn more about Native American history is very significant to me because many times, the real history of Native Americans is often overlooked by the textbooks and the basic lessons we learn on the Americas prior to colonization. I also learned this semester that Cornell University is actually on native land and this history is emphasized in some areas of the college. I think that continued awareness to the current policies that are designed to keep Native Americans separated from Westernized culture will begin to break down the barriers of this injustice.

This film was great. It interviewed Native people on their thoughts and experiences regarding the derogatory use of Native American words and imagery, particularly for marketing and sports purposes. There was a range of thoughts and feelings about these uses, and many of them centered around the centuries of discrimination against indigenous tribes. This is crucial context for the argument. Native people have been used, without their consent, as symbols throughout history; regardless of intent, these uses need to be scrutinized.

The appearance of Native spirit guides, traditional dance-wear, and tribal likenesses has always been present in pop culture, but the lack of voice from actual tribes is what makes this negative. Actually hearing speakers on the topic was helpful, because they knew best what the uses were. One woman described the hurt she felt at having to see a cartoon image of a tribal character used without regard to the history behind it; but when she fought back, she became the subject of intense scrutiny. There was intense backlash against tribal members speaking out, and the overwhelming force of sports marketing nearly succeeded in drowning activists out completely. But as the film showed, there are still tribal members who speak only out against derogatory usage of Native figures, and the progress being made is hard-fought.

I really enjoyed this film about how different sports teams appropriate Native American culture. It was very eyeopening how so many people don’t care that they are disrespecting others. It made me realize how some people’s values can be so distorted. The film also made me analyze my life and made me think more about whether or not I have been appropriating certain cultures.

After watching More Than a Word, which dissects the history of the Washington Redskins football team, it has been interesting to see how things have changed since that documentary was released in 2017. The past year, the Washington football team has actually removed the R-word from their name, going simply as the Washington Football Team, in addition just days ago, the Cleveland Indians have announced they plan to change their name soon. While both of these are long past due and should have changed decades ago, the fact that they are now willing to change on their own accord and not due to legal matters gives me hope that while so much has gone wrong this year that this is indicative of more change to come in the future. Even now there are plenty of fans who are upset with the name changes, and my hope is that now that the teams themselves have decided to change their names this will shed some light upon those fans who have refused any change so far. If these people start to realize how many people, including those whom the name is meant to honor, have found the names offensive then that could possibly lead to further change in other domains outside of sports team names and we could become a more respectful society overall. But who knows if these recent changes will have any greater impact outside of their own teams.

I really enjoyed watching the film “More Than A Word” this past Friday night. It told the story of the Native American community’s efforts to change the name of the Washington R*dskins football team. While the film documented the many setbacks they faced, I found it inspiring how the community was so passionate about making this change. No matter the setback they faced, they all set aside their individual differences and many came together as a community to support each other and fight for what they believe in. It is inspiring to see a group of people that persistently advocate change!