Washington’s NFL franchise is under intense pressure to change its name. A Canadian Football League team announced it is keeping its name.
The Edmonton Eskimos will remain the Edmonton Eskimos, the Associated Press reports.
The team arrived at that decision following “an extensive year-long formal research and engagement program with Inuit leaders and community members across Canada.”
“The consistent feedback was a desire for more engagement with the club,” the team said in a statement. “There were a range of views regarding the club’s name but no consensus emerged to support a name change. The club has therefore decided to retain its name.”
The Eskimos’ research and engagement program “included meetings with Inuit leaders and community leaders in Iqaluit, Inuvik, Yellowknife and Ottawa; and a research phase with a combination of in-depth interviews with Inuit across the north and in Edmonton, and a telephone survey among a broad group of Inuit across Canada.”