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Edmonton Eskimos To Review Name Change
The Edmonton Eskimos have said they will be “accelerating our ongoing process of review” of the club’s nickname after coming under pressure from sponsors.
Longtime sponsor Belair Direct, a car and home insurance company, has called for a review of the nickname that has been in place since the 19th century, saying its use is no longer appropriate.
“We acknowledge and appreciate the feedback and input regarding our name,” Rose Mary Phillip, the Edmonton team’s vice-president of marketing and communications, told CBC Sports. “We take this issue seriously, as has been demonstrated by the three years we’ve spent engaging in Canada’s North and conducting research related to our name.
“We recognize that a lot has occurred since this information was gathered, and as a result, we are accelerating our ongoing process of review. We will be seeking further input from the Inuit, our partners and other stakeholders to inform our decisions moving forward.”
The organization will “continue to listen carefully and with an open mind.”
Belair Direct said in order for the company to continue its sponsorship of the football team “we will need to see concrete action in the near future, including a commitment to a name change.”
Edmonton’s team has faced repeated calls to change its name in the past but is now facing fresh calls as teams across Canada and the US come under increased pressure to do away with outdated and sometimes racist names and images.
However, the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation — which represents Inuit who live in Canada’s western Arctic region — said it does not take exception to the term “Eskimo” and said it supports the use of the word “as long as it is used in a respectful manner”.
“It was developed by a First Nations group to describe a group of Inuit they were aware of,” IRC chair Duane Smith said.
“As it pertains to the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League, they do use the term out of respect and have been reaching to the Inuit organizations and communities to develop collaborative approaches within those communities to promote education, awareness, respect, healthy recreational pursuits and reconciliation.”
/Stewart Sports news editor
