Did you know…..
That there is a video game that networked with the Iñupiat people of Alaska? They worked with almost 40 tribal elders to create it!
This game is set in the Arctic where a young Iñupiat girl and her fox companion trek across the frozen tundra in search of what is causing her village terrible blizzards. Run from predators and solve a few puzzles along the way. You can switch through the game to be the fox or the young girl, and some consoles have where you can play with a friend.
What makes the game an important part of Native Culture? The game is narrated by an Iñupiat elder in their traditional language! Subtitles provide a translation so the player can easily understand what is going on in a wide span of languages such as English, Spanish, French, Japanese, and Russian!
But that’s not all. One of the goals in the game is to find all the little owls scattered through each chapter of the story. Each little owl will allow the player to play “Cultural Insight” videos that share different aspects of Iñupiat life.
The game is available on XBoxOne, Playstation4, Steam, Google Play, Apple Store, and more. Check out their website HERE for more information. One of our staff members played it on the XBox before we shared it here. She states:
Even though the game isn’t very long, it’s a very easy game to play and suitable for a wide age range. It was fantastic hearing the whole story being narrated in a traditional language. The Cultural Insight videos really bring a fullness to the game as you get to hear tidbits about different aspects of game situations and characters directly from the Native people. Even the artwork is based off of traditional craft work. I hope to see more like this in the future.
Amber, Museum Staff
So please go check it out! Share the link! Have a bit of fun while you learn about a wonderful tribe in the Alaskan Artic.