# Not Eskimoes, But "Native Alaskians"???

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-eskimoes-but-native-alaskians/145288>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [December 28, 2002, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-eskimoes-but-native-alaskians/145288 "2002-12-28T02:55:57Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\
**Post date:** [December 28, 2002, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-eskimoes-but-native-alaskians/145288/1 "2002-12-28T02:55:57Z")

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No disrespect intended here. I just want to have a better understanding of other cultures. I was wondering if Indians of the Western Hemisphere really find this term offensive. And, along these lines, are Eskimoes offended by this term? What DO Indians call themselves? And, do Eskimoes call themselves “Eskimoes”, or “Allusians”? (sp?). Are we going to start calling them “Native Alaskians”? 😕 - Jinx

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**Author:** ![Splanky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b2d939/32.png) [@Splanky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Splanky)\
**Post date:** [December 28, 2002, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-eskimoes-but-native-alaskians/145288/2 "2002-12-28T03:22:25Z")

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I know the proper word to call eskimos is “Inuit”. N.A. Indians would probably prefer to be called by their respective tribe.

I would think “Indian” would be offensive, since they aren’t from India.

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**Author:** ![Tony\_Montana](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/278dde/32.png) [@Tony\_Montana](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tony_Montana)\
**Post date:** [December 28, 2002, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-eskimoes-but-native-alaskians/145288/3 "2002-12-28T03:27:40Z")

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I can’t speak for the Eskimo,Aleut,Athabaskan or any of the northern peoples of Alaska,as I am Haida/Sioux.  
You can call me that Haida/Sioux kid (depending on your age I guess) In my experience, Eskimo is a blanket term Caucasian’s use for the peoples of northern Alaska. Haida’s are not Eskimo, neither are Tsimsian or Tlingit . We are all(Haida,Tsimpsian,Tlingit) Southeast AK native but are termed Native american’s  
Side not: Its not snowing here its raining

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**Author:** ![aahala](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a88e4f/32.png) [@aahala](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aahala)\
**Post date:** [December 28, 2002, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-eskimoes-but-native-alaskians/145288/4 "2002-12-28T03:36:12Z")

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What people want to be called varies of course.

Inuit actually refers to the Canadian Artic and Greenland eskimo, and the word usage has been popularized as much by the white man as the eskimos themselves.

More Alaskan eskimos speak the Yupik dialect than inuit. Eskimo is the correct word for these folks, although some may find it offensive.

My wife is from the Western coast of Alaska, south of Nome. She says she is eskimo.

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**Author:** ![GingerOfTheNorth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/cdc98d/32.png) [@GingerOfTheNorth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GingerOfTheNorth)\
**Post date:** [December 28, 2002, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-eskimoes-but-native-alaskians/145288/5 "2002-12-28T04:34:07Z")

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I lived in the NWT in Canada for 8 years, and I never once heard an Inuit person refer to him or herself as anything but Inuit. “Indian” is reserved, in Canada, for those persons from the country of India. The term used in Canda is Native.