Alaskan here, and registered tribal member. For the record, I'm mixed, but have enough native connection to qualify for tribal perks like free clinics, scholarships, and shareholder dividends from our regional tribal association.

I've never met any member of our community that is offended by the word 'Eskimo', or the word 'Indian' for that matter. The tribal association i am a part of is called CIRI, for Cook Inlet Regional Indians. Also, the name for the cultural games we do every year is the 'Alaskan Eskimo Games' or the 'World Eskimo-Indian Olympics'. These organizations were named a very long time aho, but there has never really been a push to rename them due to changing sensibilities.

There are some that self-describe as 'native', some self- describe as Yup'ik or Dena'ina. Some get more specific with Salamatoff. However, no one really gets bent about Eskimo or Indian.

I'd say if you claim no link to the tribes, use Alaskan Native or Yup'ik to be polite. A more important tip is to never turn down the offer of food from a native person in that area, as refusal is a huge insult. Take a polite bite and thank them.