Square Enix: Please reconsider putting the Native American war bonnet attire in-game.

[Shofie]

I'll try to keep this as succinct as possible.

War bonnets are extremely sensitive cultural items that are generally "restricted" items. That is, it is offensive for non-Native Americans to wear them, or anyone to wear them who hasn't earned the right to do so.

They are earned through acts of heroism and putting them in the game where player characters can access them at all is trampling all over Native Americans.

Native American cultural attire is not a costume.

Especiallythe war bonnets.

Please consider removing the war bonnet from the upcoming patch. It is deeply offensive and racist to include it.

Thank you.

[ErryK]

But the Thavnairian gear is okay? It's not offensive stereotyping of old "Arabic"/"Persian" clothing?

[Shofie]

I'm not here to discuss other items today. I am here to discuss this item, currently. Other items existing does not negate this one, people can debate multiple items at a time, etc.

[Alistaire]

I'm not here to discuss other items today. I am here to discuss this item, currently. Other items existing does not negate this one, people can debate multiple items at a time, etc.

Comparison of similar instances is relevant to the discussion. You can't just come in here and say people aren't allowed to include that.

[Khanscott]

Cultural appropriation exists because people fail to comprehend that culture belongs to noone.

[ThatNinja]

This thread is about the war bonnet and only the war bonnet. I'd like to ask that people not try to derail the topic at hand.

[myahele]

I knew that there was going to be a post like this as soon as I saw that there were Native-American themed gear

[Tevatron]

I understand this issue doesn't affect everyone personally, but there is a difference between something being part of a culture and something that is inexorably linked to its parent culture in a way it can't respectfully be removed from its original contex.

I find it troubling so many people feel so comfortable responding to things like this with, "Other cultures are fine with people wearing their clothes, so this shouldn't be offensive to you." That's not an inherently racist attitude, but it's one that suggests an ignorance of the fact different cultures are, you know, different.

I understand Japan has a different sensibility of what constitutes racism, bigotry, and appropriation, but given that this game is localised for different regions and given America has just recently been dealing with this exact issue and many Native Americans finding the appropriation and debasement of war bonnets offensive, perhaps this isn't appropriate in the NA-localisation.

[ErryK]

I find it troubling so many people feel so comfortable responding to things like this with, "Other cultures are fine with people wearing their clothes, so this shouldn't be offensive to you." That's not an inherently racist attitude, but it's one that suggests an ignorance of the fact different cultures are, you know, different.

When I responded with what I said earlier, about other clothing being in the game, I was more in the sense asking "Why are you against x culture's traditional clothes being used but have nothing to say about y culture?", you can't just be fine with one being used and the other entirely, wholly ignored. It's not right, and it should never be something.

[Tevatron]

When I responded with what I said earlier, about other clothing being in the game, I was more in the sense asking "Why are you against x culture's traditional clothes being used but have nothing to say about y culture?", you can't just be fine with one being used and the other entirely, wholly ignored. It's not right, and it should never be something.

The issue with that is that different cultures have different ideas associated with different things. It's comparing apples to oranges.

It's a quick and dirty example, but in the west, a lot of people think all turbans are just, you know, weird hats or whatever. In much of the Middle East, that view is pretty right. A turban is just a hat. If you talk to a Sikh, however, a dastar is not "just a hat", it's an article of deep, religious import.

Different things have different meanings and it's very often wrong to strip those things of their context when they're a core facet of a culture's identity.