Re: Eskimos: change your name
Posted: Thu Jul 09, 2020 7:57 am
When I was in elementary school we were taught about the Eskimos (people, not team). We watched Nanook of the North and other National FIlm Board of Canada documentaries about Eskimos. We learned about kyaks, seal hunting, and blubber. As kids we were fascinated by these exotic people known as Eskimos.
In grade 7 we were assigned pen pals from Chesterfield Inlet in Nunavut (then NWT). A group of students and teachers from Chesterfield Inlet actually came to North Delta (Hellings Elementary) for week. We got to meet real Eskimos in real life!
And yes my overuse of the word "Eskimo" in the above two paragraphs is deliberate.
"Eskimo" was the term that was used back then. It was what my generation (and previous generations) were taught. I don't know if my teachers were aware of the racist history of that word. I certainly don't recall any racist undertones in the lessons we received. Our pen pals from Chesterfield Inlet referred to themselves as Eskimos because that's what they too were taught about their own people. They too were not taught (many by non-indigenous teachers) the history of that word.
So when CFL fans, particularly white middle aged fans, defend keeping the Eskimo nickname as a sign of "respect" for the Inuit, it's because they were never taught that that word was actually an insult. When Inuit people themselves say they are OK with a CFL team being called Eskimos, it is because they were never aware of the history. And that doesn't make either group racist or self loathing. Just blissfully unaware.
The nickname Eskimo needs to be retired. It's an outdated relic of a colonial past. Canada is just starting to come to terms with the systemic racism (particularly in indigenous schools ) in our nation's history. They don't teach children about "Eskimos" in school today because we now know better.
In grade 7 we were assigned pen pals from Chesterfield Inlet in Nunavut (then NWT). A group of students and teachers from Chesterfield Inlet actually came to North Delta (Hellings Elementary) for week. We got to meet real Eskimos in real life!
And yes my overuse of the word "Eskimo" in the above two paragraphs is deliberate.
"Eskimo" was the term that was used back then. It was what my generation (and previous generations) were taught. I don't know if my teachers were aware of the racist history of that word. I certainly don't recall any racist undertones in the lessons we received. Our pen pals from Chesterfield Inlet referred to themselves as Eskimos because that's what they too were taught about their own people. They too were not taught (many by non-indigenous teachers) the history of that word.
So when CFL fans, particularly white middle aged fans, defend keeping the Eskimo nickname as a sign of "respect" for the Inuit, it's because they were never taught that that word was actually an insult. When Inuit people themselves say they are OK with a CFL team being called Eskimos, it is because they were never aware of the history. And that doesn't make either group racist or self loathing. Just blissfully unaware.
The nickname Eskimo needs to be retired. It's an outdated relic of a colonial past. Canada is just starting to come to terms with the systemic racism (particularly in indigenous schools ) in our nation's history. They don't teach children about "Eskimos" in school today because we now know better.
