Image retrieved from https://www.esks.com/2016/06/01/eskimos-single-game-tickets-on-sale-now/.
Tansi Nîtôtemtik,
As we neared the end of 2017, a great debate arose as to whether or not local Canadian Football League (CFL) Team, the Edmonton Eskimos, should change their name. Conversations arose in the spirit of reconciliation, considering the negative connotations that may be associated with the term “Eskimo” and it’s political correctness in a country that should be done away with colonial words, such as “Indian.”
The term “Eskimo” itself means “snowshoe-netter” in Montagnais, or “eats something raw” in Cree. “It is a 200-year-old Indigenous word from the fur trade era, which eventually had its spelling Anglicized and meaning slightly altered to ‘eaters of raw meat.’”1
Despite the plain meaning behind the term, scholars have argued that it is the colonial ties “Eskimo” carries that results in its derogatory nature. It is viewed as a demeaning reminder of how the Inuit were discriminated against during the colonization of the North. Historically, archaeologists and anthropologists used “Eskimo” in their writings, describing the Inuit as people “with a low intelligence”, and very “caveman-like”. "That word and that image that came forward at the time — and still comes into play today — is derogatory and unnecessary.”2
In December 2015, Natan Obed, president of the Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami (ITK), “demanded in Nunatsiaq News that the Edmonton Eskimos change their name as he did not believe the Inuit should be used as mascots or emblems for a professional sports team,” but he also acknowledged that not all Inuit shared his perspective.3
Edmonton Mayor Don Iveson has commented on the issue, stating that this conversation was not going to go away, and acknowledging the ITK’s perspective on the term’s offensiveness. He further warned that, “if the Edmonton Eskimos don't rename the team before next season, the 2018 Grey Cup could be beset by a very charged debate about the issue.”4 Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also commented on the Edmonton Eskimos name change debate stating,
“Obviously, that’s a part of reconciliation — listening to concerns and understanding what habits of the past need to change...Reconciliation is not just about Indigenous people and the government; it’s about all of us as Canadians, non-Indigenous as well, and I think that’s a really important discussion to have.”5
As we approach the 2018 Grey Cup hosted in Edmonton, it is inevitable that this conversation will continue. As we move forward in reconciliation, should we do away with the colonial terms that still exist in our society? Or should our efforts in reconciliation be better utilized on other matters besides the name of a sports team? This is a controversial topic, one felt beyond our borders (for example, with the debate surrounding the Washington Redskins), and one likely to continue as we begin to acknowledge the importance of reconciliation for Indigenous and non-Indigenous relations. In closing, we ask our readers — is the name change of the Edmonton Eskimos an appropriate place to work on reconcili-action? Let us know in the comments below!
Until next time,
Team ReconciliAction YEG
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[1] D.W. Langford, “Have a conversation about Eskimos name but fight real racism”, Edmonton Journal (25 November 2017), online: http://edmontonjournal.com/opinion/columnists/opinion-have-a-conversation-about-eskimos-name-but-fight-real-racism.
[2] Wallis Snowdon, “Edmonton Eskimos name an insult to the Inuit, says local Inuk woman”, CBC News (14 November 2017), online: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/edmonton-eskimos-name-change-inuk-critic-1.4401422.
[3] Langford, supra note 1.
[4] CBC News, “Edmonton mayor urges Eskimos to move quickly on name change”, CBC News (9 November 2017), online: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/edmonton-eskimos-name-change-don-iveson-1.4395218.
[5] Jim Bronskill, “Edmonton Eskimos ‘need to have conversation’ about changing name: Notley”, The Canadian Press (22 November 2017), online: https://globalnews.ca/news/3875463/edmonton-eskimos-name-change-notley-alberta/.
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