The belief of some people that freedom of speech, creativity and similar topics mean that you pretty much can do whatever you want must be one of the most annoying things in the world because of the lack of something that the world has been missing for a while: respect for others. It is something that has done massive damage to international relationships for my country.
Free world means that you have to take responsibility with that freedom, not abuse it. So when using that freedom you will also have to take that of others into account, though it is also the case that some people should be less sensitive but you are not improving the situation and certainly not make it more pleasant by ignoring the others.
In the case of the Pueblo you guys are practically saying 'screw them because I want to play them'. A no is a no, and the Pueblo have clearly stated that they wouldn't appreciate it if one of their historical leader was displayed in a video game. Something that we would find strange but for them it might be something very sensitive. Big credits from me to Fixaris who, despite putting effort and money into it, decided not to do it. Though it would be sad not being able to play the Pueblo, maybe they'll be able to convince them the next time in the development for Civ VI. And there are still plenty of other nations and tribes that are worthy to be added to the game.
Agreed. At least this is Firaxis' own decision, not something imposed by anybody else, and I am happy that they chose their decision.
From what I know from second-hand accounts, many native Americans these days are very sensitive to portrayals of their culture in the media and in general their interaction with outsiders. Given the fact that they've been at the short end of the stick for more or less five centuries, I don't find it surprising.
This sort of thing is perhaps something that Westerners sometimes forget; oftentimes their portrayal of non-Western cultures, even if innocent and with good intentions, can be seen as offensive by non-Westerners. For instance, as an Asian, I've seen many depictions of "Asian" culture that, while not outright offensive, still offensive in a subtle way because it makes certain unspoken assumptions and perpetuates stereotypes (like the martial artist stereotype, the arbitrary blend of random cultural elements ranging from Japan to China and Tibet, the assumption of a more "spiritual = better" people in Asia, etc.) even though I understand the creator might not have realized it - or even understood what they were doing.
Think about how these sort of common arbitrary portrayals would offend a peoples who have been ruthlessly conquered, exploited, and stereotyped, and I think it makes sense that they would be distrustful of even a well-intentioned and respectful portrayal that I am sure the Civ series would have been for them. It is rare for
anyone in the media to be this considerate about these matters, to be honest, and I applaud Firaxis for doing that.