The Ainu of Hokkaidô generally used words such as ''kur'' and ''utar'' to refer to indigenous groups from the Kurils or [[Sakhalin]], in contrast to the word ''shisam'' ("the great and nearby") used to refer to Japan or Russia. | The Ainu of Hokkaidô generally used words such as ''kur'' and ''utar'' to refer to indigenous groups from the Kurils or [[Sakhalin]], in contrast to the word ''shisam'' ("the great and nearby") used to refer to Japan or Russia. |