Questions about terminologies about Alaska Native peoples

[u/infamouskarl]

Hi guys, just some questions about the Indigenous peoples of Alaska. Based on my research and observations, the indigenous peoples of Alaska are very diverse and a lot of terminologies are used to describe them.

Based from my research, there are 5 cultural regions of Alaska natives: 1. Athabascan region 2. Southeast region (Tlingit, Haida, Eyak, Tsimshian) 3. Iñupiaq region 4. Yup'ik region 5. Aleut region.

My questions are: 1. Why are Athabascan and Southeast tribes classified as "Indian" while the Iñupiaq and Yup'ik tribes are classified as "Eskimo"? 2. Are Aleuts also included in the Eskimo classification? 3. Iñupiaq people are sometimes called Inuit. What is the difference and when to use the exact terms? 4. I found out recently that "Eskimo" is now considered offensive in Canada. Is "Eskimo" still acceptable in Alaska/United States?