# A Comment on the Eskimo/Snow thing **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [January 24, 2003, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-comment-on-the-eskimo-snow-thing/150580 "2003-01-24T00:25:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![TeanBean316](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d07c76/32.png) [@TeanBean316](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TeanBean316)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2003, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-comment-on-the-eskimo-snow-thing/150580/1 "2003-01-24T00:25:34Z")
I just found the Straight Dope site and happened upon the following two columns: [What are the nine Eskimo words for snow?](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_297) And [Are there nine Eskimo words for snow (revisited)?](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/010202.html) I found both columns really quite funny, although probably a bit insulting to that particular Native American group. What I found most interesting was Marie G’s comment. She called herself an Eskimo. To my knowledge, this particular group of people prefer to call themselves the _Inuit_ which, translated means “the people” or “the human beings”. It led me to believe that Marie G is somewhat distanced from her roots … or is lying. ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2003, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-comment-on-the-eskimo-snow-thing/150580/2 "2003-01-24T01:12:32Z")
Welcome to the SDMB, **TeanBean316**. In a recent [staff report](http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/meskimowifeswap.html), I visited the question of terminology. Those Eskimos who come from Greenland, Canada, and northern Alaska can properly be called Inuit. Those who come from extreme eastern Siberia, western Alaska, and southern Alaska are Yuit, not Inuit. Marie calls herself a Koniag Eskimo. The Koniag are from southern Alaska and so are Eskimos, but not Inuit. ---
**Author:** ![cdhostage](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c6cbf5/32.png) [@cdhostage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cdhostage)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2003, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-comment-on-the-eskimo-snow-thing/150580/3 "2003-01-24T17:28:55Z")
I call myself Scottish, although I must admit my ignorance of many things Scot. I live in New England, and actually expect snow to come with winter, not several months of nothing but rain instead of rainrainrainsunrainrainrain which is in the summer. I don’t like haggis either, but I play my bagpipe and there is a claymore on my mantel. ---
**Author:** ![Rube\_E.Tewesday](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f0a364/32.png) [@Rube\_E.Tewesday](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rube_E.Tewesday)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2003, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-comment-on-the-eskimo-snow-thing/150580/4 "2003-01-24T17:38:03Z")
**Bibliophage** is right, of course. In addition, I’ve know Inuit who cheerfully identified themselves as Eskimos to white folks, and others who would use the term in a jovial fashion (“I’m going to get me some Eskimo food”) in much the same way that some black people will use the term “nigger”. ---
**Author:** ![TeanBean316](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d07c76/32.png) [@TeanBean316](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TeanBean316)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2003, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-comment-on-the-eskimo-snow-thing/150580/5 "2003-01-27T17:39:14Z")
Ahhh, cool. Thank you for the enlightenment. Things to go hunt down my Anthropology professor about! ---
**Author:** ![Rube\_E.Tewesday](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f0a364/32.png) [@Rube\_E.Tewesday](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rube_E.Tewesday)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2003, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-comment-on-the-eskimo-snow-thing/150580/6 "2003-01-27T17:50:56Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by TeanBean316 \* > \*\*Ahhh, cool. Thank you for the enlightenment. Things to go hunt down my Anthropology professor about! \*\* Of course, you know the definition of an Inuit family: A father, a mother, a son, a daughter, and an anthropologist.