Survival in the Wild West cowboy days continues to be a popular setting for video games. Red Dead Redemption II is one of the top sellers from the past year. If they have Native characters, games typically don’t drift far from old Western movie stereotypes. A growing number of Native game developers are starting to change that picture. The free educational PC game, “When Rivers Were Trails” utilizes Native talent to broaden players’ understanding of history. We’ll hear from Native developers about overcoming market forces, financial hurdles and mainstream resistance to build games that expand how gamers view Native people.

Guests:

Elizabeth LePénsee (Anishinaabe and Métis) –

Meagan Byrne (Metis) –

Carl Petersen (Lakota) –

Break 1 Music: Indians Never Die (song) (artist) Mother Of My Children (album)

Break 2 Music: Canoe Song (song) (artist) Spirit of Salishan (album)