This needs fixed.
"Seeka Lee Veevee Parsons, 21, an Inuit of the Nunavut Territory in Canada, said she was shocked when she found the Eskimo marshmallows for sale last week, saying there were an insult to her people."
"The word Eskimo was unacceptable in her country and carried with it negative racial connotations, she says.
The correct term was Inuit, Parsons says.
"I was taken aback. When I was a little girl white kids in the community used to tease me about it in a bad way. It's just not the correct term," she says.
She also believed the shape of the lolly was an unfair stereotype of her people."
Okay, i think Seeka has raised fair points that deserve consideration. It is easy for slippage into racism to occur - once noted, it can be remedied.
So what does the company say.
"But Cadbury Australia and New Zealand communications manager Daniel Ellis says Cadbury/Pascall did not intend to rename or remove the product.
"Pascall Eskimos are an iconic New Zealand lolly and have been enjoyed by millions of New Zealanders since they first hit shop shelves way back in 1955," he says.
"They continue to be incredibly popular today. Last year, we produced almost 19 million individual Eskimos, making it one of our most sought after Pascall products.
"It has never been our intention to offend any member of the public, and whilst we are disappointed to learn that this traditional New Zealand product has caused any concern, this is only the second time in the product's 54-year history that we have received such a complaint.This shows that the overwhelming majority of consumers do not find Eskimos to be offensive."
As usual PROFIT above the sensibilities of indigenous people. And sorry international corporation called cadbury/pascall, I do find it offensive and i will be writing to you to tell you that.
In 1955 this country was a very different place for maori.
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