Can we say “Eskimo”?

By URelles

July 3, 2025

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The word Eskimo has long been part of the cultural landscape. Whether we’re talking about the famous chocolate-covered ice-cream bar, or giving an “Eskimo kiss” by rubbing the tip of your nose against someone else’s, this word has long circulated in popular culture, without us asking too many questions. But does it still have a place today?

A colonial (and vague) origin

The word Eskimo does not come from the people it refers to, i.e. the Inuit and Yupiks. It was imposed on them, as is often the case with colonial terms. Even today, its meaning is subject to debate.

The origin of the term may come from the word excommunié, because the Inuit were not Christians. Jesuits coming from Europe in the 1600s coined the names Excomminquois (pronounced Excomminqué), which later, via a few alterations, gave rise to Escoumins and esquimaux.

Another widely contested belief is that the term was used by European settlers and derives from an Algonquian word (probably from the Innu or Ojibwe language) meaning “raw meat eater” or “raw fish eater”.

Linguists also believe that the word Eskimo is derived from a Montagnais (Innu) word ayas̆kimew meaning “snowshoe net”.

Either way, I’m sure you’ll agree that these aren’t exactly compliments.

Deep-rooted stereotypes

When we use the term Eskimo, we’re not just referring to a group of people: we’re activating an imaginary world. That of igloos, dog sleds, big parkas and the Far North. An image frozen in time. This imaginary has been reinforced by the media, children’s books, consumer products… yes, even ice cream bars!

The problem is that this imagination freezes the Inuit in a stereotype. It obscures their modern reality, their struggles and their vibrant culture. Today’s Inuit live in towns and villages, work in a variety of fields, and continue to speak their language, create, teach and resist. To reduce them to this image (which you can probably visualize without difficulty) is to make them invisible.

Another issue with the word Eskimo is that it has been used as an umbrella word to designate both the Inuit of Canada and Greenland, and the Yupiks, who live mainly in Alaska and Siberia. Yet the Yupiks are not Inuit, do not speak the same language and do not share exactly the same cultures, territories or histories. To lump this whole world together under a single word is to obliterate their individuality, their specificity, their cultural autonomy. In short, it’s a shortcut that erases rather than unites.

From ice cream bars to soccer stadiums: the word Eskimo disappears

As mentioned above, commercial and cultural uses have contributed to anchoring the word in the collective imagination, but also to nurturing stubborn stereotypes. But the good news is that things are changing!

For almost 100 years, the Eskimo Pie ice cream bar has been a staple in the United States. Launched in 1921, it combined chocolate and vanilla with an “exotic” image of the Far North.

In 2020, in the midst of a broader social movement to question racist symbols in popular culture (think Aunt Jemima or Uncle Ben’s), the Dreyer’s company announced it would be renaming the treat. Eskimo Pie thus became Edy’s Pie in the United States, a nod to the name of one of the company’s founders. The rebranding was accompanied by a commitment to “respect the dignity of indigenous peoples”.

Here in Canada, another change made the news: that of Edmonton’s Canadian soccer team, called the Edmonton Eskimos since 1949. Here again, the name drew on stereotypical Northern imagery, used without the agreement or involvement of Inuit communities.

For years, aboriginal leaders have been lobbying the team and the Canadian Football League for a change. For its part, the team stuck to its position that the name was a tribute to the Inuit people, representing “toughness, hardiness and the ability to perform in cold weather”. It wasn’t until 2020, after a period of public consultation and increased pressure, that the organization officially adopted its new official name: the Edmonton Elks.

The change was hailed as a step in the right direction, even if many regretted that it had taken so long. It shows that listening to the communities concerned counts.

What terms should be used in this case?

What many people don’t know is that the word Inuit has been around forever… at least, as far as the Inuit themselves are concerned! Inuit means “human beings” in the Inuktitut language. Inuk is singular. These are words derived from the languages and cultures of these peoples, not imposed by others. In other words, they’re the right words.

There’s also the term Inuvialuit, which refers more specifically to an Inuit group living in the western Canadian Arctic. As elsewhere in the world, there is great diversity within what we call “indigenous peoples”. They are not interchangeable identities.

For several decades, Inuit communities have been actively demanding that their own words be used to refer to them. These demands are not capricious: they are part of a broader process of cultural reappropriation, self-determination and healing after generations of colonization, forced relocation and assimilation policies.

What about the famous “Eskimo kiss”? This gesture, often misrepresented, is in fact inspired by the kunik, a beautiful demonstration of affection among the Inuit… but which has nothing to do with the nose-on-nose we’ve been shown in cartoons. So we ask you: what if we renamed this tenderly awkward gesture? We’ll take your ideas in the comments!