Tootoo not offended by Eskimos’ name

Jordin Tootoo, the first Inuk to play in the NHL, says he doesn’t find the Edmonton Eskimos’ team name objectionable, but that doesn’t mean the CFL club should keep it.

Edmonton has promised to speed up a review of its name after at least one sponsor said it plans to cut ties with the team unless the name is changed.

The team has seen repeated calls for a name change in the past and faces renewed criticism as sports teams are being urged to remove outdated and sometimes racist names and images.

Tootoo said the discussion should be “around how the Inuk people feel” about the term.

“We should all understand what the term means to the Inuk people,” he said. “My father’s generation connects this term to describe who they are. He would refer to himself as an Eskimo. My generation refers to itself as Inuk. What is important to me is that people understand this. And, when referring to the Inuit people, they respect that we refer to ourselves today as Inuk.

“I understand there are names of sports teams that bring back feelings of oppression for people and I can see why those names should be changed. So, this makes me ask the question, does the term Eskimo for the Edmonton franchise bring back feelings of oppression for Inuk people? For me, it does not. That is not a reason to keep the name. There could be others for whom it does create those feelings.”

Tootoo said the team should explain why it chose its name. “Was it racially charged or was it because of admiration for the ability of the Eskimos to thrive in cold climates, for their mental and physical toughness and for their resilience?” he said. “Context really does matter. They need to be honest with themselves and with the public. Truth goes a long way.”

Tootoo, 37, played 13 seasons in the NHL with Nashville, Detroit, New Jersey and Chicago. He retired in 2018.