Rez Ball, inspired by a true story, focuses on an Indigenous high school basketball team and their attempt to win a championship after losing their star player, Nataanii Jackson (Kusem Goodwind), who died by suicide.

At the front of the Netflix film is Jimmy Holiday, played by newcomer Kauchani Bratt, nephew of actor Benjamin Bratt, and a former basketball star who has returned to the reservation to coach, Heather Hobbs (Jessica Matten). Jimmy goes on a journey throughout the film and learns to trust himself and his team– and vice versa.

Importance of Indigenous stories from Indigenous creators and talent

The film is the latest in a series of projects in recent years, both in film and television, that have both focused on Indigenous stories and come from Indigenous talent.

Scene from Netflix's 'Rez Ball' — Photo: Netflix

“One of my castmates, Devin Sampson Craig (who plays Bryan), actually had a project for his school at the University of Washington [looking at] Indigenous roles in cinema and where it started and now where we are today,” said Bratt. “I think a big part of where we are today with things like Reservation Dogs, and with Dark Winds, and with Rez Ball is that these are Indigenous stories being told, whereas before they depicted [us] savages and we didn’t have control over our own narrative and our own voice and our own perspective. Things like Reservation Dogs and Rez Ball allow for Indigenous people to be in control of our narrative, and I think that’s the huge thing, so that there is no misrepresentation. I think that’s why it’s really important and it is a step in the right direction towards having more projects like this, where there are Indigenous stories told by Indigenous directors…you have Indigenous writers, you have Indigenous actors, you have Indigenous cast and crew all coming together to tell these stories. I think that’s why these projects today are really important, [and] hopefully, it’s a step in the right direction.”

Kauchani Bratt also grew up playing basketball

Because Bratt was experienced at playing basketball that aspect of taking on the character of Jimmy was something that wasn’t hard at all.

“I grew up playing basketball so that part was pretty straightforward,” Bratt explained. “And I also grew up playing rez ball. I played on a team traveling to different reservations to go play in all-Indigenous tournaments. One of the biggest tournaments that we got to attend was the Native American Basketball Invitational, which is the largest one in North America. It’s sponsored by Nike N7, it’s sponsored by the Phoenix Suns. We got to play in the Phoenix Suns arena and we actually won a championship. That part came pretty easy, and just growing up [and] being native and understanding the underlying culture and understanding what some of the humor means that doesn’t have to be explained to someone who’s maybe an outsider. They wouldn’t understand, but me being from the culture itself, I’m able to understand where it’s coming from and there’s no handholding that needs to be done in terms of explaining what this and that means.

He continued, “In terms of also doing some research to understand who Jimmy was and where he comes from, one of the things I did look at is a Netflix documentary called Basketball or Nothing, and it follows a couple of kids on and off the court. And it’s really about rez ball and what life is like on the Navajo reservation. Watching that was really, I feel like it allowed me to understand where Jimmy could be coming from and what his world could possibly look like and feel like.”

Scene from Netflix's 'Rez Ball' — Photo: Netflix

Jimmy’s arc in Rez Ball

Jimmy’s journey in Rez Ball is one that includes him coming to terms with being a leader, while using his culture and community as influence.

“I think a lot of that had to do with Heather Hobbs,” he said. “And a lot of that had to do with the community and the people around him, whether it was Krista who was there to teach him more about his own language as an Indigenous man, or whether it was Heather Hobbes being there who went out into the world and now she’s come back to the rez to sort of give strength and whether it was leaning on his brothers on the team who he hadn’t done before. And I think what really helped Jimmy step up into the situation was the strength of his community and his culture. I think that’s what really allowed Jimmy to make that step– to understand that he’s not alone and that he’s got where he comes from is a beautiful people and that sort of helps him get to where he needs to be. And I think had he not had that and had he not allowed even opened himself up to allow those people to come into his life in that way, he probably might not have been able to do that.”

What happens at the end of ‘Rez Ball’?

The Chuska Warriors win the championship game after overcoming their opponents, Santa Fe Catholic Coyotes, utilizing their secret weapon and understanding Navajo. But by the time of the championship, speaking Navajo was not the only thing helping the team. But because of this, their bond was even tighter, and therefore they worked together better on the court.

Jimmy’s mother, Gloria, had an alcohol addiction and was always afraid her son would lean only on sports and turn out like her. She was a basketball star that played with Heather, and was actually better than Heather, but had to put her dreams on hold. However, toward the end of the movie she comes around and even drives off the reservation to go see Jimmy play in the championship. However, she is stopped by a police officer, who takes her to jail and she is detained for driving outside of the reservation and having outstanding warrants. When Jimmy returns home, she is outside playing basketball for the first time in a while and greets Jimmy with all the recruitment letters that have come in the mail for him.

“I think seeing Jimmy not break to that or not give into that negativity and to lean onto his culture and his community and get strength that way, I think that sort of reignites a light in her that she [Gloria] maybe thought she may have lost along the way and didn’t know it was even possible for herself,” said Bratt. “And I think [where] it leaves off, we don’t know what happens with Gloria and we don’t know what happens with Jimmy, but we see that progress has been made and we see that there’s a new light about her. I think a large part of that has to do with Jimmy’s impact on her. Usually, it’s the mother that has to uplift the son. In this case, it was the son who, through everything he gained, all the strength he gained, was able to uplift her.

Meanwhile, Heather, who was initially trying to field jobs at colleges and professional teams, decides to stay and coach the Chuska Warriors for at least another season after they won the championship. Perhaps she’ll stay even longer? Maybe that can be discussed in a potential Rez Ball 2!

Rez Ball

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