Re: Inuits and Eskimos

Posted by Chris on April 27, 1999 at 20:56:23:

In Reply to: Re: Inuits and Eskimos posted by brian simons on April 27, 1999 at 06:29:52:

: : : Hi Sarah,

: : : It is true that Eskimos and Inuit are the same...However the latter term is the correct one meaning "The People" in Inuktitut.The term Eskimo originates from the Algonquin language meaning " Eaters of Raw Meat". It is not used in Canada anymore and I heard from a friend who is Inuit that it is not advisable to use the word Eskimo up north...The Inuit may consider it an insult...

: : : Rebecca

: :
: : Hi Sarah and Rebecca,

: : The term "Eskimo" is used occasionally in Alaska. It does not seem to be an insult as it is used by the people themselves, as in the Alaska Eskimo Whaling Commission. It may just be a holdover from earlier times. More often, they use Yup'ik or Inupiat and refer to the individual groups.

: : Chris

: Chris,Sarah, and Becky,
: It Seems to me in my intensive studies of the Inuit that the work Eskimos highly offends them....

Dear Jeff, Brian and others who may be following this thread,

I did some research today, and here is what I was told. My Yup'ik friend told me that because the Algonquin people were in direct contact with the Canadian Inuits and used the term Eskimo in a derogatory manner, the Canadian Inuits were and are offended by it. However, by the time the word Eskimo came to Alaska, its origin and original meaning had been lost and it was just another word to the Native people here. They were never bothered by it. My Inupiat friend said that while a few people might consider it derogatory, it is not generally thought to be so. In fact, because there is no word for Yup'ik in the Inupiaq language, and the Yup'iks are not circumpolar peoples and therefore are not Inuit, they call the Yup'iks Eskimos.

When I lived in Barrow, I thought the word "tun-uk" (my spelling) was the derogatory term for a White person. The corresponding word in Yup'ik is "gus-suk" (my spelling). I was surprised to find out fairly recently from Native friends that neither of these words is considered derogatory by the Native people. When I tried to remember why I might think it was derogatory, I realized that it was usually used to me by people who had been drinking, and in that case, it was meant to be derogatory. Our friends never used the terms because race was never an issue.

So I guess each of us was partly right.

Jeff and Brian, I am curious what your background/experience is? Are you Canadian, US or otherwise? Where did you get your sources for your information?

Chris

Follow Ups:

• Re: Inuits and Eskimos Elaine 22:39:00 4/28/99 (1)
  • Re: Inuits and Eskimos Chris 23:19:11 4/28/99 (0)

Post a Followup

Name    : 
E-Mail  : 
Subject : 

Comments:

: : : : Hi Sarah,

: : : : It is true that Eskimos and Inuit are the same...However the latter term is the correct one meaning "The People" in Inuktitut.The term Eskimo originates from the Algonquin language meaning " Eaters of Raw Meat". It is not used in Canada anymore and I heard from a friend who is Inuit that it is not advisable to use the word Eskimo up north...The Inuit may consider it an insult...

: : : : Rebecca

: : : 
: : : Hi Sarah and Rebecca,

: : : The term "Eskimo" is used occasionally in Alaska.  It does not seem to be an insult as it is used by the people themselves, as in the Alaska Eskimo Whaling Commission.  It may just be a holdover from earlier times.  More often, they use Yup'ik or Inupiat and refer to the individual groups.

: : : Chris

: : Chris,Sarah, and Becky,
: :      It Seems to me in my intensive studies of the Inuit that the work Eskimos highly offends them....

: 
: Dear Jeff, Brian and others who may be following this thread,

: I did some research today, and here is what I was told.  My Yup'ik friend told me that because the Algonquin people were in direct contact with the Canadian Inuits and used the term Eskimo in a derogatory manner, the Canadian Inuits were and are offended by it.  However, by the time the word Eskimo came to Alaska, its origin and original meaning had been lost and it was just another word to the Native people here.  They were never bothered by it. My Inupiat friend said that while a few people might consider it derogatory, it is not generally thought to be so.  In fact, because there is no word for Yup'ik in the Inupiaq language, and the Yup'iks are not circumpolar peoples and therefore are not Inuit, they call the Yup'iks Eskimos.  

: When I lived in Barrow, I thought the word "tun-uk" (my spelling) was the derogatory term for a White person.  The corresponding word in Yup'ik is "gus-suk" (my spelling).  I was surprised to find out fairly recently from Native friends that neither of these words is considered derogatory by the Native people.  When I tried to remember why I might think it was derogatory, I realized that it was usually used to me by people who had been drinking, and in that case, it was meant to be derogatory.  Our friends never used the terms because race was never an issue.

: So I guess each of us was partly right.

: Jeff and Brian, I am curious what your background/experience is? Are you Canadian, US or otherwise?  Where did you get your sources for your information?

: Chris


Optional Link URL:  
Link Title:         
Optional Image URL: