The Sami Council, a non-governmental organization representing the Sami people of Finland, Norway, Sweden and Russia, has called on Square Enix to remove the Far Northern Attire DLC from Final Fantasy 14. The description is appropriate,” he said. statement (opens in new tab)rather, the items depicted in the DLC are “Sami cultural property” and violate that right.
âOur cultural property rights are not theoretical,â said Asrat Holmberg, president of the SĂĄmi Council, in a statement. âThey are generally protected and protectable under intellectual property laws that are harmonized around the world. Square Enix as a media company is very aware of intellectual property laws and There is no excuse for this blatant violation of the cultural heritage of
The council said that Sami clothing is not just an aesthetic, but has “certain elements of Sami identity with meaning, content and context”. This allows millions of FF14 players to “dress up as Sami, assume Sami identities without our consent, and contribute to the encroachment of our culture.”
This is not the first time the Sami Council has spoken out about protecting the cultural heritage and rights of its people.Holmberg said the council’s position “has been made very clear in the past”, adding that the 2019 agreement (opens in new tab) Walt Disney Animation Studios is Disney’s cultural appropriation (opens in new tab) After using the SĂĄmi chant in the first Frozen film, Disney said:
- Agreed to work with the Sami people to create a dubbed version of Frozen 2 in the Sami language
- Thanks to the Sami people for their help and cooperation in the Frozen 2 credits
- Recruited an expert advisory group to ensure that Sami-inspired Frozen 2 content is âculturally sensitive, appropriate and respectful of the Sami people and their cultureâ Did.
- Sami representatives invited to the world premiere of Frozen 2 in the USA
- It agreed to “pursue opportunities for mutual learning” with the Sami people and “arrange contributions to Sami society”.
In contrast, Square Enix “did not even disrespect the rights of the SĂĄmi people in relation to this product,” the council said.
Holmberg didn’t specify what action the council would take if Square Enix didn’t comply with its demands, but said, “This situation dictates the rights of indigenous peoples to their cultural property and appearance. I would like to proceed with the discussion on the matter,” he said. Engage in productive dialogue with all industries. â
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This isn’t the first time Square Enix has sparked controversy over costumes in Final Fantasy 14. However, since the costumes were only released in China, that criticism was somewhat muted.
We’ve reached out to Square Enix for comment on the Sami Council’s demands.We’ll update if we hear back.$18 for now Arctic Outfit Bundle (opens in new tab) It’s still available for purchase on the Final Fantasy 14 online store.
