The Saami Council is asking Square Enix to remove the Far Northern Attire cosmetic set from FFXIV. The president of the Sami Council, Áslat Holmberg, claims that this is because elements of dress are the property of the Sami culture. To use them in Final Fantasy XIV without consulting the Sami people is to violate their rights.
Holmberg says it’s not about sensitivity, or whether depictions of Sami culture are appropriate or not. To wear Sámi cultural clothing without consulting is to violate copyright laws. The agreement that the Sami people have with the entertainment companies establishes that “their collective and individual elements, their music, their language, their tales, their stories and other traditional cultural expressions are the property of the Sami”.
According to Holmberg, Square Enix should be more than aware of copyright laws, including those surrounding the Sami. So you have no excuse to launch the Far North outfit without first communicating with the group. Another issue is that Sámi clothing traditions have significant meaning and context in relation to Sámi identity. The Saami Council believes that allowing 41 million FFXIV players to wear their clothing would “contribute to the erosion” of the culture.
The Sami people have collaborated with media and entertainment companies in the past. In your letter, you specifically refer to Walt Disney Animation Studios. The Frozen franchise is inspired by Sami culture and the reps spoke to real Sami people when they created the first one. Verddet, a Sami group, helped provide advice when Disney was working on Frozen 2. The Saami Council reiterates that they are happy to collaborate with entertainment companies. However, appropriate procedures are in place. Since the issue under consideration concerns the rights of natives to their own culture and property, Holmberg hopes this will lead to more discussion about its use in multiple industries.
Final Fantasy XIV is available for PS4, PS5 and Windows PC.