Cliff Clavin moment of the day: Indian Giver

[elSicomoro]

For about a decade now, the terms "Indian" and "Eskimo" have generally not been used in referring to those indigenous to the northern Americas. The terms generally used now are "Native American" and "Inuit" respectively. (This being along the lines of using terms such as "Asian" instead of "Oriental" and "African-American" instead of "Black"...or "Caucasian" instead of "White.")

Well, I was watching a Target commercial, which features Stevie Wonder and India Arie singing "The Christmas Song." And you're probably all familiar with the line "folks dressed up like Eskimos."

So...isn't "The Christmas Song" un-PC now? I mean, speaking as a Native American, I'm not offended (though the name used by the NFL team in Washington is a bit much to me...and is no longer protected by copyright). But maybe the Inuits are. Hmmm...perhaps I should consult some of the folks in Nome?