NORMA DUNNING, University of Alberta: COMMENTARY: “Edmonton Eskimos” is a racial slur and it’s time to stop using it

30.11.17

NunatsiaqOnline 2017-11-29: COMMENTARY: “Edmonton Eskimos” is a racial slur and it’s time to stop using it: The use of the Eskimos name has been a recurring issue for the past few years, especially since Natan Obed, national Inuit leader for Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, called for the elimination of the name as part of his organization’s ongoing fight against colonization in the name of reconciliation.

“The colonial legacy of naming is about power and control,” Obed said. “The issue of Inuit being used as a sports team mascot matters, because this is the way this legacy continues to play out in popular culture.”

As an Inuit scholar and writer, I have also spoken on this topic several times, both with the media and within my own work.

The Edmonton Eskimos are an institution and, like most institutions, want to appear as though they are helping and respecting the less fortunate or the underdogs of society. The Edmonton football team has said they use their name with pride. In fact, they are disrespecting and suppressing Inuit peoples.