By David Opinko

Edmonton’s CFL club officially dropping “Eskimos” name

Jul 21, 2020 | 1:16 PM

EDMONTON, AB – The name, “Edmonton Eskimos” will soon be a thing of the past.

Public pressure has been mounting on the team to change their name as some critics believe the use of Eskimos denotes racist connotations.

The club announced on Twitter that its Board of Directors has made the decision to discontinue the use of that word.

Until they find a new name “befitting our storied team”, they will be known as the “Edmonton Football Team” or “EE Football Team”.

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“Our team has a long history of winning – both on and off the field – and we will continue to do so going forward,” said Janice Agrios, Chair of the Board of Directors. “We feel it is important to make this change in response to the findings of our recent engagement and research. Going forward, we want the focus to be on the work we do in the community and our team’s excellence on the field as the CFL’s most successful franchise.”

The name change came as a result of an extensive research and engagement process three years ago that had an emphasis on listening to Inuit communities.

“While many fans are deeply committed to keeping the name, others are increasingly uncomfortable with the moniker,” reads a statement on the CFL’s website. “The long-term viability of the Club requires everyone to get behind this change and continue to support the team, especially during these challenging financial times.”

A new engagement process will be launched on what the new name will be.

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