History Main / EskimoLand

Many people currently consider the term "Eskimo" pejorative -- especially in Canada and Greenland, where "Inuit" (meaning "[[OfThePeople the people]]" in the Inuit language Inuktitut) has replaced the older word. Note that "Inuit" is plural when used as a noun (so referring to multiple "Inuits" is ungrammatical), while the singular noun "Inuk" refers to an individual of Inuit origin. Complicating matters further, the Inuit aren't the only ethnicity that's historically been lumped as "Eskimo", so the proper terminology varies depending on where you go:

Note: In some places, especially Canada, the word "Eskimo" itself is considered politically incorrect. Many will tell you the correct term is Inuit ("The people" in Inuktitut, with "Inuk" being the term for an individual of this group; thus, "Inuits" is ''not'' the plural). However, "Inuit" itself is specific to a single Eskimo people, and in some places Eskimos who aren't Inuit welcome being called Inuit about as much as Welshmen relish being called English. It's best to just use the name of the tribe if you know it. The native people of UsefulNotes/{{Canada}} (and also the far north of the U.S.A.) are more generally known as the First Nations...except by the Inuit. "First Nations" are the groups formerly called "Indians", and Inuit are very clear they are ''not'' part of that grouping.

Also, as a side note, this stereotype has even less basis in reality than most--they have a cultural tendency towards {{Hot Blooded}}ness (and, in common with other First Nations/Native peoples, an unfortunate propensity to alcoholism), have had a very bloody history with intertribal warfare, and will quite cheerfully use modern technology to make their lives a bit easier. Snowmachines are very popular, and rifle hunting is a favorite pastime. And Elders (at least in Canada), especially those who actually grew up in a more traditional lifestyle, generally tend to think that anyone pining for the [[NostalgiaFilter Good Old Days]] before modern conveniences, technology and medicine is ''[[NostalgiaGoggles utterly insane]]''.

Note: In some places, especially Canada, the word "Eskimo" itself is considered politically incorrect. It's a mispronunciation of Inuit ("The people" in Inuktitut), with "Inuk" being the term for an individual of this group, thus "Inuits" is ''not'' the plural. On the other hand, "Inuit" itself is specific to a single Eskimo people, and in some places Eskimos who aren't Inuit welcome being called Inuit about as much as Welshmen relish being called English. The native people of UsefulNotes/{{Canada}} (and also the far north of the U.S.A.) are more generally known as the First Nations...except by the Inuit. "First Nations" are the groups formerly called "Indians", and Inuit are very clear they are ''not'' part of that grouping.

* Holoska from ''VideoGame/SonicUnleashed'', the northern polar ice cap of Sonic's world and its own country.

The far north counterpart to InjunCountry, and part of the HollywoodAtlas. Expect any Inuit villages to be a mishmash of outdated stereotypes. PolarBearsAndPenguins are the only wildlife features in the otherwise blank white landscape. The plant life is non-existent, the snow never ever thaws. The only people around are Eskimo who never, ever take off their parkas, and they spend each and every day dog sledding, ice fishing, and seal hunting. They eat nothing but blubber, their ice igloos are their permanent residences (rather than their actual use as temporary shelter), and they know nothing about the modern world. And, of course, they send their old people off to die on ice floes.

* In Creator/HPLovecraft's ''Call of Cthulhu'', there's a branch of the Cthulhu cult in a small native tribe in Greenland. Notably, Lovecraft, [[SignatureStyle true to]] [[AntiquatedLinguistics form]], uses the archaic spelling "Esquimeaux".

Note: In some places, especially Canada, the word "Eskimo" itself is considered politically incorrect. It's a mispronunciation of Inuit ("The people" in Inuktitut), with "Inuk" being the term for an individual of this group, thus "Inuits" is ''not'' the plural. On the other hand, "Inuit" itself is specific to a single Eskimo people, and in some places Eskimos who aren't Inuit welcome being called Inuit about as much as Welshmen relish being called English. The native people of Canada (and also the far north of the U.S.A.) are more generally known as the First Nations...except by the Inuit. "First Nations" are the groups formerly called "Indians", and Inuit are very clear they are ''not'' part of that grouping.

* Music/FrankZappa's ''"Don't Eat the Yellow Snow"'' and ''Nanook Rubs It'' from ''Music/{{Apostrophe}}'' tell the story of an Eskimo boy named Nanook, his favorite baby seal and a fur trapper.

* This is the usual setting for Russian "Chukchi" joke stories about natives of Chukotka, who are basically same people as Eskimos, except they live on the Siberian side of the Bering Strait.

* ''{{Film/Eskimo}}'' was the first film in the US to have been scripted in a Native Alaskan language. While it deals with NobleSavage stereotypes, it was interesting in certain details:the lead actor was actually a half-Russian Jewish, half-Alaska Native, and some of the hunting scenes are not faked at all, they are real.

* ''The Incomparable Atuk'', a novel about a FishOutOfWater eskimo transplanted to Toronto whose movie script adaptation is reputed to be [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atuk cursed.]]

* An episode of WesternAnimation/HeyArnold ends with Helga's sister [[StepfordSmiler Olga]] going to Alaska "to teach desperate and underprivileged Inuit children". While they did at least update the terminology, the school building is a lone igloo without electricity in the middle of a frozen wasteland.

* ''The Incomparable Atuk'', a novel about a FishOutOfWater eskimo transplanted to Toronto whose movie script adaptation is reputed to be [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atuk cursed]].

[[quoteright:263:[[ComicStrip/DennisTheMenaceUS http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/dennis.jpg]]]]

* "Quinn the Eskimo" ("The Mighty Quinn") from ''Music/SelfPortrait'' by Music/BobDylan, which was CoveredUp in the UK by Manfred Mann's Earth Band. Zig-zags... or maybe subverts, or... Well, it does ''something'' unconventional with the trope by making the titular Inuk some kind of messianic figure.

* [[TheFarSide Gary Larson]] made a lot of gags based on this trope.

* ''IceClimber'' is definitely set here, with yetis added in. There are no penguins though, keeping the theme strictly "North Pole."
* Holoska from ''SonicUnleashed'', the northern polar ice cap of Sonic's world and its own country.

* ''NanooksGreatHunt'', a fairly obscure animated series about an Inuit boy on a quest to save his father, who has been captured by a malevolent Polar Bear god. Set in the late 19th century or thereabouts, many episodes revolved around the culture clash between the traditional Inuit ways & the encroaching modern world.
* Averted in the Greenland episode of KikaAndBob (which is kinda surprising, considering that this animated series often embraces ethnic stereotypes): The Inuits of Greenland live in houses and resent being called "eskimos".

* In ''TheLegendOfZeldaTheWindWaker,'' Zunari is a shopkeeper who is from "a very cold place" who looks the stereotype to a T. He wears his parka 24/7 even on the rather temperate island he lives on in the present. In its direct sequel ''Phantom Hourglass'' we find his apparent hometown and the people he was raised among. The Anouki (PettingZooPeople who are mostly humanoid penguins with reindeer antlers) are ice igloo-dwelling denizens of SlippySlideyIceWorld and ''all'' wear nothing but blue parkas (okay, there are two with yellow ones as part of a sidequest.)

* Rob Reiner's ''{{North}}'' abuses this trope horribly, giving the film's title two meanings.

* ''BigMiracle'' is better than most considering it's based on a true story and depicts the Inupiat community realistically having to deal with the political implications of the whale rescue.

* Music/FrankZappa's ''"Don't Eat the Yellow Snow"'' and ''Nanook Rubs It'' from ''Music/{{Apostrophe}}'' tells the story of an Eskimo boy named Nanook, his favorite baby seal and a fur trapper.
* Zigzagged with the album ''Eskimo'' by Music/TheResidents.
* "Quinn the Eskimo" ("The Mighty Quinn") by Music/BobDylan, which was CoveredUp in the UK by Manfred Mann's Earth Band. Zig-zags... or maybe subverts, or... Well, it does ''something'' unconventional with the trope by making the titular Inuk some kind of messianic figure.

* TheResidents ''Music/{{Eskimo}}''. The Whole Album is set in Eskimo Country, and focuses on a group of Inuits. Although it's all made up and not well researched at all...

* Possibly lampshaded in FriendlyHostility when Fox visits Fatima in Alaska.

* TheResidents ''Music/Eskimo''. The Whole Album is set in Eskimo Country, and focuses on a group of Inuits. Although it's all made up and not well researched at all...

Note: In some places, especially Canada, the word "Eskimo" itself is considered politically incorrect. It's a mispronunciation of Inuit ("The people" in Inuktitut), with "Inuk" being the term for an individual of this group, thus "Inuits" is ''not'' the plural. On the other hand, "Inuit" itself is specific to a single Eskimo people, and in some places Eskimos who aren't Inuit welcome being called Inuit about as much as Welshmen relish being called English. The natives people of Canada (and also the far north of the U.S.A.) are more generally known as the First Nations...except by the Inuit. "First Nations" are the groups formerly called "Indians", and Inuit are very clear they are ''not'' part of that grouping.

* ''Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner'' is different considering it's a feature film made by an Inuit director and cast.

* ''Film/Eskimo'' was the first film in the US to have been scripted in a Native Alaskan language. While it deals with NobleSavage stereotypes, it was interesting in certain details:the lead actor was actually a half-Russian Jewish, half-Alaska Native, and some of the hunting scenes are not faked at all, they are real.

* FrankZappa's "Don't Eat the Yellow Snow" tells the story of an Eskimo boy named Nanook, his favorite baby seal and a fur trapper.
* Zigzagged with the album ''Eskimo'' by TheResidents.
* "Quinn the Eskimo" ("The Mighty Quinn") by BobDylan, which was CoveredUp in the UK by Manfred Mann's Earth Band. Zig-zags... or maybe subverts, or... Well, it does ''something'' unconventional with the trope by making the titular Inuk some kind of messianic figure.

* An episode of HeyArnold ends with Helga's sister [[StepfordSmiler Olga]] going to Alaska "to teach desperate and underprivileged Inuit children". While they did at least update the terminology, the school building is a lone igloo without electricity in the middle of a frozen wasteland.

Note: In some places, especially Canada, the word "Eskimo" itself is considered politically incorrect. It's a mispronunciation of Inuit ("The people" in Inuktitut), with "Inuk" being the term for an individual of this group. On the other hand, "Inuit" itself is specific to a single Eskimo people, and in some places Eskimos who aren't Inuit welcome being called Inuit about as much as Welshmen relish being called English. The natives people of Canada (and also the far north of the U.S.A.) are more generally known as the First Nations.

Also, as a side note, this stereotype has even less basis in reality than most--they have a cultural tendency towards {{Hot Blooded}}ness (and, in common with other First Nations/Native peoples, an unfortunate propensity to alcoholism), have had a very bloody history with intertribal warfare, and will quite cheerfully use modern technology to make their lives a bit easier. Snowmachines are very popular, and rifle hunting is a favorite pastime. And Elders (at least in Canada), especially those who actually grew up in a more traditional lifestyle, generally tend to think that anyone pining for the [[NostalgiaFilter Good Old Days]] before modern conveniences and technology is ''[[NostalgiaGoggles utterly insane]]''.

[[ComicStrip/DennisTheMenaceUS http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/dennis.jpg]]

* This is the usual setting for Russian "Chukchi" joke stories about natives of Chukotka.