Expert: John Shea - 11/25/2008

Question
My daughter in grade 4 social studies has been asked by her teacher to find another name for snowshoes. We have looked on line and have not found either a second name or an aboriginal name for them. She attempted bearclaws with her teacher however she said no. Try again. we also know that ESKIMO can mean snow shoe but this has not worked and neither has webs. Any suggestions for us. We are in Canada and I have not been able to come up with anything else for my daughter I feel defeated

Answer
Dear Karl
When I was a kid, my French-speaking grandmother called these things "raquettes" (sing. la raquette).
I don't think Iniut/Eskimo use snowshoes much, but forest-dwelling Athapaskans do.  The Ojibwa term for them is "aškime".
For more info, consult the website of the Alaskan Native Heritage Museum in Anchorage.  They have a bejillion of these things.
Cheers,
John Shea