From: Austin Ziegler <halostatue@...>
Date: 2006-09-01T06:05:59+09:00
Subject: Re: How to spy on the Japanese Rubists

On 8/31/06, Floyd L. Davidson <floyd@apaflo.com> wrote:
> There are two Eskimo languages, and each of them has just about
> the same number of terms for snow that English does.  Swedish,
> Norwegian, Danish and Russian all most certainly have an equal
> number too.
>
> As for "Inuit", keep in mind that not all Eskimos are Inuit, and
> the others (not to mention some who actually *are* Inuit),
> distinctly do *not* like to be called Inuit.

However, Eskimo *is* a derogatory term applied by other natives first.

> The Inuit in Canada and Greenland would prefer to be called
> Inuit, and since there are no Yupik Eskimos there, it makes
> sense.  But in Siberia all Eskimos are Yupik.  And in Alaska
> there are both Inuit and Yupik, so we use the term Eskimo with
> regularity.  In particular because the Inuit Eskimos in Alaska
> do *not* like the term Inuit, and call themselves Inupiat!

That's because they're *not* Inuit, they're Inupiat. Different tribes,
different names. (One would not call an Ojibwe an Iroquois. You'd be
wrong.)

> Regardless, the term Eskimo is *not* derogatory, and happens to
> be the one an the *only* term in the English language which
> encompasses all Eskimo cultures, languages, or peoples.

This is untrue. It's a derogatory term introduced. Most people didn't
*learn* it as a derogatory term, but it is no less derogatory for that
oversight.

-austin
-- 
Austin Ziegler * halostatue@gmail.com * http://www.halostatue.ca/
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