[QUOTE=Chefguy]
The preferred term here in Alaska is “Alaska Native” or just “Native”. Within that general grouping fall the various tribes, such as Yu’pik, Inupiaq, Athapaskan, Tlingit, Aleut, Dena’ina, Tsimshian, Haida, etc. The word “Eskimo” or “Indian” is sometimes tacked on the end, such as “He’s a Yup’ik eskimo.”
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Dingdingding! We have a winnah!
It gets even more complicated, though. See how far you get calling a member of one of the southern Alaskan tribes an Eskimo. What you’ll probably get (if they’re polite) is a gentle correction on their accurate tribal designation (Tlingit, Haida, whatever happens to be appropriate) or a request to use the phrase “native” or “Alaska Native” instead. What you’ll get if they’re not polite is harsh words and/or an exasperated eyeroll.
In my experience, it’s not offensive to call an Alaskan Native (as opposed to Canadian indigenous peoples or folks from Greenland, say) an Eskimo so much as it’s irritating, because then you have to correct whoever-it-is and probably offer an explanation to the really confused look they inevitably give you. “Eskimo” is an inaccurate term to refer to a southern Alaskan native by (they’re more closely related to the Puget Sound area Native Americans than the Eskimo-grouping tribes, really), but not an offensive one.
Think of it like this - “Eskimo” is a general term which is used to refer to any member of any tribe of the indigenous peoples found north of about the US/Canadian border. “Inuit” is the name of a specific tribe of such persons. Most native Alaskans I know do not get upset at being referred to by the generic name. They assume anyone who calls them an eskimo is a tourist, and will generally sigh a little inside at having to explain for the billionth time that they’re not an eskimo and telling the questioner that “Alaska Native” is the preferred term. However, some people will get offended if you call them an Inuit. Eskimo is at least a generic term - Inuit is not a generic term. The assumption if someone calls them an Inuit is that that person is aware of the different tribal designations, but can’t be assed to find out which one you belong to (or is trying to be deliberately offensive).
Using “eskimo” marks you as an out-of-towner, Inuit makes you a jerk. Now, most folks will generally just ask you to use native or Alaska native - it’s not that big a deal, to be truthful. Unless you’re one of those people who I’ll illustrate in the following fictional dramatized conversation:
Tourist 1: “Oooo! Are you an eskimo?”
Alaska resident: "Nope, I’m a Haida but generally people use “native”
Tourist 2: Don’t you know that eskimo is an insult?!? Use Inuit!
AR: No, actually we prefer native or Haida if you wanna be totally accurate
T2: Inuit is the right term! I read it on the interwebs (or in a guidebook)! Aren’t you offended T1 called you an eskimo?!? Why aren’t you offended?!?*
It’s a weird thing, but it’s people from the Lower 48 who seem to give a rat’s ass about it. I’ve never actually met an Alaska Native who gave two shits about being called an eskimo. I know a couple who get steamed about “Inuit” though.
*I’ve actually had conversations similar to this one, only instead of “Haida” I said “German and Irish”. The rest of the conversation was the same. The fact that I was of Caucasian descent didn’t seem to affect T2’s recreational outrage on my behalf. It was fairly surreal. It’s not as if I look native - I’m ghost-white and redheaded with blue eyes. The summer I turned 16, I worked in a hardware store and had this conversation every time the tour ships came in. I was working with my best friend, who was native (but not physically noticeably so) who thought the whole damn thing was absolutely hilarious because the crazies would inevitably pick me as their unwitting pawn in the “eskimo/inuit” debate, rather than her.
