LEATHER WORKING LUNETTE KNIFE

[David]

Yes Jim, you are correct that Inuit is not the best term to describe ALL these Northern people. I misspoke on that front. The term Eskimo was often applied to three main groups of people, Inuit, Yupik and Aleut.
I am not surprised that there many indeed be some Yupik, Aleut or Inuit who may use or at least not be offended by the term "Eskimo", just as there are Native American that have no problem using the word "Indian".
I believe that whenever possible the best thing we can do is to name a people as specifically and as closely to the name THEY use for themselves as possible. Even amongst people that do fall under the general description of Inuit we find various tribes within that call themselves by specific tribal names.

"Greenlandic Inuit generally refer to themselves as Greenlanders ("Kalaallit" or "Grønlændere") and speak the Greenlandic language and Danish. Greenlandic Inuit belong to three groups: the Kalaallit of west Greenland, who speak Kalaallisut; the Tunumiit of Tunu (east Greenland), who speak Tunumiit oraasiat ("East Greenlandic"); and the Inughuit of north Greenland, who speak Inuktun.
The word "Eskimo" is a racially charged term in Canada. In Canada's Central Arctic, Inuinnaq is the preferred term, and in the eastern Canadian Arctic Inuit. The language is often called Inuktitut, though other local designations are also used."

Though i certainly would respect an indigenous person's choice to call themselves an eskimo, that name, though debated as to actual origin, cannot be shown to be the legitimate indigenous name for the tribe of any of these arctic indigenous people.

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