The Edmonton Eskimos asked their fans if they think the football team should change its name.
The Eskimo nickname is widely considered to be offensive by Canada’s Inuit population, and after years of controversy and pressure to take action, the team asked their fans to give their opinion in a recent survey.
Canadian Football League commissioner and former Eskimo Randy Ambrosie is in Edmonton meeting with fans and stakeholders as part of Randy’s Road Trip, where he said it’s up to the team to decide if they change their name.
“I think ultimately this is an issue for the Eskimos, for the fans here, for the team here in Edmonton, for the relationship between the citizens in Edmonton and the Inuit community,” Ambrosie said.
Despite criticism, a poll conducted by Insight West found 57 per cent of Canadians find the term acceptable.
A long-time fan wants the team to keep the name.
“It’s tradition," a fan at Randy’s Road Trip at Commonwealth Stadium told CTV News said. "Political correctness has its point, but I mean, the Eskimos have always had a tradition behind that, and they’ve always respected the name, so I don’t see any reason to change it.”
With files from Dan Grummett
