I moved from Portland, Oregon, to Fairbanks, Alaska, and the culture shock was enormous. The worst was in the prejudice against the Eskimos and Indians. I couldn't believe the bigotry and the words used to describe these wonderful people. And, lest someone wants to point out to me this Eskimo or that Indian, who did this or that, just as in real life, there are those who do not make their heritage proud. My point is not the latter, but the fact that, no matter who they are, they are treated with abject prejudice. Remember, I'm talking about Fairbanks, specifically, and cannot speak for Juneau, Anchorage, etc.

One day I mentioned to a group, with whom I worked, that I was going blueberry picking with my sis. Without batting an eye, one of them told me to be careful of the "niggerheads." My chin hit the floor. I asked her if she didn't mean "tussocks?" She said oh, yeah, but the tops are all nappy like "nigger's hair," so that's what everyone calls them. When my sis and I arrived at the berry patch, I asked her what these "things" are called. She looked at me very straight and said "tussocks, but some people have a different name for them."

Again, this occurred in Fairbanks and I have no knowledge whether the term is used in other locals, not is it everyone in Fairbanks, who used the term, because there are many who wouldn't.

So, if a prejudicial term is acceptable to a region of people, is it acceptable to all?