It is the media company Square Enix that since December has been marketing new so-called skins in its e-commerce. It is a new outfit that can be purchased to be used by the game characters in the popular game.
Clearly inspired by the coal
In appearance, it is very similar to a colt – which is not appreciated by the Sami Council.
– It is clear that they have taken inspiration from the colt, and they also call it “Far Northern Attire”, so they admit that they are clothes from northern peoples, and what other clothes would there be than the colt, says Council President Àslat Holmberg.
Utilizes a cultural heritage
Holmberg believes that it is about intellectual property rights:
– They are clearly exploiting a Sami cultural heritage and have not in any way tried to contact us to make sure that it is done in the right way.
The Sami Council has contacted the company in writing to have the product removed. But Square Enix doesn’t want to remove the product. They say they did nothing wrong.
– After that, we decided to go public with the matter. These are challenges that not only affect the Sami, but also other indigenous peoples and their rights, says Àslat Holmberg, president of the Sami Council.
SVT Sápmi has contacted the media company but has not received a response.