Mondelez’s lolly brand Pascall Eskimos has changed its name to Explorers in response to the Black Lives Matter movement which emerged last year.
Pascall announced the new name and product packaging on its Facebook page a year after it said it would change the brand.
“The new name is inspired by Kiwis’ strong history of expedition, whether that’s up Everest or on our OE, and our love for the great outdoors,” the company said. “While the name and packaging has changed, rest assured it’s still the same iconic taste you know and love.”
The racist slur started in 2009 when a Canadian tourist said the name was an insult as ‘Eskimos’ is commonly used to refer to Inuit and Yupik people. At that time, the company refused to change its name, saying there were only two complaints and most people were not offended by the name.
According to Alaska Native Language Center, the word “Eskimo” is considered unacceptable by many or even most Alaskan natives, largely because it is a colonial name imposed by non-Indigenous people.
