The prevailing moral breeze suggests the Redskins' name will eventually fall away, but the process is not as straightforward as it appears, not even when it comes to exactly how, and to whom the nickname is offensive.

Throughout American history there have been literally hundreds of Native American mascots and tribes used by sports teams, from professional franchises to high schools. But there has only been one professional team to go on using the historically loaded "redskins".

The origins of the word "redskin" are debated, but have been reduced by linguists at the Smithsonian Museum to two places: one of these is an early usage of the term as a self-identifier among Piankashaw tribesmen in the mid-1700s.

And, more significantly, the other is where "redskin" appeared in newspaper clippings from the 1800s, used by colonial authorities that offered settlers a bounty for "each redskin killed".

A court recently cancelled the Washington Redskins' federal trademark registration on the grounds that the name "may be disparaging" to Native Americans.

The famous NFL franchise is challenging this ruling in full American lustre, by suing the people who petitioned for the name change.

This is a glorious case of Americana, convoluted by the eternal tug-of-war that happens between social justice and corporate finance. Why would the Washington Redskins not change their name if it offended a historically vilified minority?

After all, even President Obama suggested he'd be thinking hard about changing the name if it were his team. The simple answer – though not the only answer – is money.

The Redskins are the NFL's third-most valuable franchise, worth about $2.85 billion. Robert Passikoff, a US-based brand analyst, noted the franchise ranks seventh in the "history and tradition" component of the branding index he uses in sports.

He places the Redskins brand alongside other wealthy franchises such as Green Bay, Chicago and the Dallas Cowboys. If the Redskins were to change their name, the brand would be relying heavily on the team's swinging success. The last time the Redskins won the Super Bowl was 1991.

But Dan Snyder, the Redskins majority owner, has made quite a show of suggesting the Redskins' brand is a mark of respect for inherent Native American qualities.

It's a dangerous and condescending line but Snyder has attempted to engage with native reservations at some level, made financial contributions and even asked for native people's opinion about the Redskins' moniker. Snyder claims he received almost universal support. Others have suggested he has simply bought off voices to protect his brand.

Sports Illustrated conducted a far more nuanced and comprehensive survey of Native American opinions and found the opinions varied, at best. Native artist Douglas Miles has worked for years to breakdown native stereotypes. In an interview with SI, Miles said, "We're either seen as this extreme noble savage, or this extreme poverty case that needs help".

And this is where even a semi-gracious defence of the use of "Redskins" by Snyder meets its match. No rich, white person is allowed to tell a minority what is good, bad or otherwise intended by the use of its nicknames. In a similar way to how African-Americans have come to own and use the "n" word as an artistic, often ironic point of pride, some Native Americans associate the idea of "redskin" with what is distinctly theirs.

Victor Billie, another native respondent to the SI survey, said: "In a way, 'Redskins' is a racial slur, but in a way, it ain't. I'm divided. If a person says to me, 'You're a redskin', I consider it the truth. I'm not black skinned, or white skinned; I'm a redskin. I'm proud of it. But, when I was younger, it was an insult, and it hurt me."

A white man's best look into subtle racial issues is sometimes via comedy, because it lets him in on a joke he's in some ways aware of and had to repress. Black comedian Chris Rock says in one of his stand-up routines: "Every time the word nigger is used, it is followed by the question: Is it all right for a white person to say 'nigger'? The answer is, 'not really' … unless he's singing it in a Dr Dre song. Otherwise, he has to check in with his nigger consulate, check with his nigger representative, before he tries to use it."

And this, really, gets to the heart of the Redskins matter. Is it OK that rich, white men such as Snyder continue to make millions from a Redskins' brand that's being used without the sanction of all Native Americans?

Not really. Native Americans, by weight of numbers, do not have mass-market voices, such as Chris Rock or, for that matter, Barack Obama, to speak about and to mock racist undercurrents.

But they have a few people standing up and telling the corporate bodies with their handmade signs, "I'm a person, not a mascot".

It's to the greater good that these voices will, eventually, have the last say.