In January, the Final Fantasy XIV team added a number of new items to the FFXIV Online Store. One of those items was the Far Northern Attire, an all-new set of clothing that players could purchase for $18. The gear included five items wearable on either gender.
Today, the Saami Council, a group representing the collective people of the Sápmi region — the Northern areas of Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Russia — demanded that Square Enix remove the items for the Online Store. While they acknowledge the cultural rights and heritage of the clothing, the Council also contends that Square Enix is infringing on its intellectual property.
“Our cultural property rights are not theoretical. They are protected and protectable under intellectual property laws, which are generally harmonized throughout the world. Square Enix, as a media company, is highly aware of intellectual property laws and has no excuse for this blatant violation of Sámi cultural property,” states The Saami Council president Áslat Holmberg.
The group points to an agreement made with Walt Disney Animation Studios as an example of its defense of its intellectual property. The studio consulted with The Saami Council over character depictions and clothing in Frozen 2.
🚫 The Saami Council demand @SquareEnix to immediately remove the Final Fantasy XIV costume set “Far Northern Attire”! These elements are Sámi property and Square Enix has infringed on our rights
More info: https://t.co/eeRt13chx0 pic.twitter.com/l4CyQfXd0E
— The Saami Council (@SaamiCouncil) February 16, 2023
“The Saami Council is of the opinion that the issue is particularly damaging because Sámi clothing traditions are not merely aesthetic; they carry the significance of being specific elements of Sámi identity with meaning, content, and context. By creating this product, Square Enix has allowed their 41 million players to dress up as a Sámi people, clothe themselves in the Sámi identity without our consent, and contribute to the erosion of our culture,” says the group in its statement.
“While the gaming industry has become more open, welcoming, and sensitive to the needs of non-majority gamers, specifically in terms of alternative lifestyles, gender identities, and support of women gamers, the Saami Council is disappointed that Square Enix did not even lightly consider the rights of the Sámi people in relation to this product,” it continues.
Final Fantasy XIV has an extensive history of lifting cultural concepts and aesthetics to fill out the world of Etheirys. Some are pretty easy to see: Hingashi is Japan, Yanxia is China, the Azim Steppe is Mongolia, Thavnair is India, Garlemald is Russia, Ishgard is medieval Europe, etc. Many of the locations roughly correspond with the real-world map, to the point that some have noted that Merycydia is likely in the spot that Australia occupies in the real-world. Up until now though, the cultural lifting has gone without comment.
The statement just went up today, so Square Enix has yet to respond.
Part of header image via Norwegian Travel
