History of the 'Eskimo' Term
The term "Eskimo" historically referred to the indigenous peoples of the Arctic and subarctic regions of North America and Siberia. Its etymology is complex; commonly thought to derive from an Algonquian term meaning "eaters of raw meat," later linguistic research suggested it might relate to "one who nets snowshoes." Regardless, many indigenous groups consider the term derogatory, viewing it as a colonial label. In 1977, the Inuit Circumpolar Council formally deemed "Eskimo" offensive and adopted "Inuit," which translates to "the people" in the Inuktitut language, as a more appropriate term for these communities. This change was supported by the Canadian government, making "Inuit" an official designation. However, the term "Eskimo" persists in some regions, particularly in Alaska and Siberia, where the Yup'ik people do not identify as Inuit. Today, there is a growing preference among Alaska Natives for using specific cultural names to refer to the Inupiat and Yup'ik peoples, reflecting a broader movement toward self-identification and respect for indigenous identities.
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History of the 'Eskimo' Term
Eskimo was a general term used to refer to the indigenous people of the arctic and subarctic regions of North America and Siberian Russia. The name has a complicated history, with the indigenous population in some regions considering it offensive and others accepting its use. The modern cultures referenced include the Yup'ik of Siberia and Alaska, the Inupiat of Alaska, the Inuit of Canada, and the Greenlandic Inuit, or Kalaallit, of Greenland. These societies have traditionally relied on hunting and fishing for their livelihoods, and many continue to do so in the modern era. They share a common language with geographically distinct dialects and are believed to have originated in Asia, spreading out over upper North America in several migratory waves.
Etymology
The name Eskimo is derived from the French word esquimaux, which is itself a pronunciation of a term used by Algonquian-speaking American Indians. It was once commonly believed the term evolved from the Algonquian word ashkimeq or askamiciw, meaning "eaters of raw meat." As a result of this translation, many came to see the term as derogatory and offensive. In the late twentieth century, linguistic researchers determined it likely came from the Algonquian word askimew or awassimew, meaning "one who nets snowshoes." Regardless of its original meaning, many indigenous people oppose the word because it was a label imposed by colonizers.
The Inuit Circumpolar Council in 1977 deemed the name Eskimo to be derogatory and adopted the term Inuit to refer to all indigenous people of the arctic region. Inuit means "the people" in the Inuktitut dialect spoken in Canada. The Canadian government agreed with the council and also made Inuit an official designation. In Greenland, which is a territory of Denmark, the indigenous people also used the term, preferring to be called Greenlandic Inuit, Greenlanders, or Kalaallit in their native dialect.
In Alaska and Siberia, however, the name Eskimo long endured, largely because the Yup'ik people do not consider themselves part of Inuit culture. To the Yup'ik, Inuit is used only in reference to the Inupiat and the peoples of Canada and Greenland. At the same time, fewer and fewer Alaska Natives embrace the term Eskimo. When referring to the Inupiat of Alaska and the Yup'ik of Alaska or Siberia, their individual cultural names are widely preferred.
Cultural Impact
The problematic historical term has been used not only in legal and social contexts but also for marketing products from desserts to airlines to sports teams. Protests and awareness have grown over the use of the word and associated imagery in the twenty-first century.
In early 2016 Alaska Airlines unveiled a controversial plane and website redesign with the phrase "Meet Our Eskimo." Critics took to social media and an online petition to voice opposition to implication of ownership, the appropriation of an indigenous figure for the logo, and the use of the word Eskimo. The company apologized and rephrased the tagline, though it indicated that focus groups had indicated local support for the name. That same year, the US Congress unanimously stuck the word Eskimo from the Department of Energy Organization Act and the Local Public Works Capital Development and Investment Act, and replaced it with the broader, more neutral term Alaska Native.
A few years later, the 2020 police killing of George Floyd, an African American, touched off global antiracism protests and accelerated efforts to remove the term Eskimo from common usage, among other changes. Notably, for a century, chocolate-covered ice cream bars had been sold in the United States and elsewhere as Eskimo Pie, in packaging featuring a child in a fur-trimmed parka. In mid-2020, the manufacturer, Dreyer's Grand Ice Cream, acknowledged the offensive nature of the product name and paused production; it renamed the popular confection Edy's Pie and resumed production in 2021. Similarly, beginning around the 1950s, New Zealand candy maker Pascall had produced popular marshmallow candies shaped like a stylized indigenous person wearing a hooded parka and marketed as Eskimo lollies. Although Pascall disregarded an Inuit Canadian's well-publicized 2009 complaint, the manufacturer's parent company reconsidered in 2020 after Dreyer's announcement. That July the Canadian Football League's Edmonton team—which had ignored the Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami's 2015 request to stop using the word as its longstanding team nickname—announced the organization would be known simply as the Edmonton Football Team. Then, in August 2020, the National Aeronautic and Space Administration (NASA) dropped the nickname Eskimo Nebula for nebula NGC 2392 and began a review of other nicknames and terms for cultural sensitivity.
Bibliography
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