Last year while sending in my final manuscript for
The Raven's Gift to the fine folks at Penguin Canada, I kept noticing changes to my word choice. Everywhere I used the world "Eskimo" the word "Inuit" had magically appeared. I corrected this apparent typo and then received a gentle note that said something to the effect that "Eskimo" in Canada is a derogatory word and not used (of course with the exception of sporting groups and frozen dessert treats). As is so often the case for a kid raised on the tundra, this was news to me. Just like when I found out break-dancing was no longer cool. Did I dare share this news with my friends. Hey, guess what
Eskimo Bob, you're going to have to be called Inuit Bob? Hey
Eskimo Rockstar, guess what? Hey
Eskimo Power, guess what? And on and on...eventually until I had to tell my nephews they could no longer call themselves Eskimo.
Not such an incredibly long time ago, I was the sole white face fronting a band of Yup'ik rockgods in
The Funky Eskimos. In our signature song "
Funky Eskimo" I joked that the other members could call me the "white devil," as we used music and humor to attempt to deflect any questions as to why a white kid could be a part of The Funky Eskimos, with our main point being more about being funky than anything.
While I completely respect those who wish to be called their tribal name, in Alaska, at least for the time being there are plenty of people who identify quite proudly as being Eskimo, or Yup'ik Eskimo, or just Yup'ik, Cup'ik, or Inupiaq, and if you call them Inuit, don't be surprised if they look at you funny.
What are your thoughts?
Speaking as a person who also grew up on the Tundra, I think the term Eskimo is derogatory too, when it is used by itself. This conjures up the stereotype image of native people in fur clothing who still live in igloos, in this day and age. It is derogatory when it is used as a label by non-natives when describing Alaska Natives as a whole. The correct terms would be Yup'ik, Cup'ik, Inupiaq, Tlingit, Athabascan. It is quite alright to use it when saying "Yup'ik Eskimos", but do you ever hear the term "Athabascan Eskimos" or "Tlingit Eskimos"? No. If I remember right, the definition for Eskimos given to me as a young student was roughly translated as "Raw meat eaters." Yuk! I don't mind hearing the word being bandied around, I'm not sensitive about it, don't notice it even, because its not a word we use ourselves every day.Yuguukut. We are people, just like all the other people in the world. Yuut. People.
ReplyDeleteI never thought of it as derogatory until a white kid in the lower 48 started calling me an Eskimo in what could only be the most offensive tone ever. He didn't know if I was Eskimo or not just that I was from Alaska. He thought it was funny & was treating it like he was calling me a Gnome or something else from a fairy tail. That is when I realized that many people don't even realize that Native people from the north are real.
ReplyDeleteWhen I lived in Alaska as a student, the first thing I was taught by the family that acted as a host family getting me and my mom settled in was that Eskimo,pie face, and anything but the proper tribe names were on the black list along with the N.word.
ReplyDeleteI didn't choose to be called Eskimo or Inuit, I identify myself as a man of the world, and Eskimo suits me fine too, Inuit sounds cheep and I didn't authorize the change from Eskimo to Inuit, to me Eskimo sounds cooler and When Quinn the Inuit gets here everybody won't know what to do.
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