The Quest for New Arctic Visions: Never Alone (Kisima Ingitchuna) and Indigenous Digital Storytelling
The Quest for New Arctic Visions: Never Alone (Kisima Ingitchuna) and Indigenous Digital Storytelling
In 2011, the Cook Inlet Tribal Council embarked on an ambitious project: building a video game that captures the richness and vibrancy of Iñupiaq culture in the digital realm. The result has captured global attention, while celebrating local roots.
As a tribal non-profit organization Cook Inlet Tribal Council (CITC) serves about 10,000 Alaska Native individuals each year, connecting them to opportunities and education, employment and training, child and family services and recovery services. A little over ten years ago the board of directors made a decision to expand what we were doing with social enterprise, which we’ve been engaged in since we were formed 35 years ago. We had been looking at additional ways we could move away from being dependent on federal and state funding. About five years ago, we were looking for our next project and realized we were completely missing the connection with our youth through our pre-existing social enterprises. When we thought about what really resonated with our youth, our traditional games came to the forefront, as well as the fact that we knew they were on social media and using video games—all the places we weren’t as an organization. That was when our CEO Gloria O’Neill said, “Why not video games?” We started the process by looking around the industry to see who was out there and doing work that was aligned with our values. E-Line Media kept coming to the surface as the company that was really pushing the field in terms of “Games for Change”. So we invited them to come to Alaska. Which they did; in January, in the middle of a blizzard. One of the most fundamental steps to producing a game that would honour our people was to have E-Line meet with a group of artists, storytellers and youth. What came through in these early sessions was that our stories are one of the most important ways that we pass wisdom forward, from one group to the next. It was at this time that the choice was made to focus on the Iñupiaq culture, in part because we wanted to show who we are as people at a time when the Arctic is increasingly opening to outsiders. Throughout the process we had 24 cultural ambassadors who worked closely on the game, but we also engaged the entire community of Utqiaġvik (Barrow) throughout the development process. In turn, the E-Line team came up to Alaska over two dozen times to share progress on the game, as well as to undertake testing in the school in Utqiaġvik. That connection was probably the most powerful one. One of the things I am most proud of is that we were able to have a young Iñupiaq writer, Ishmael Hope, embedded with the design team to help write the narrative for the game, which is based on a story we call Kunuuksaayuka. One of the stickier points had to do with the Spirit Helpers, and because Ishmael was there, he was able to guide the creation of that aspect to really honour our values. The other thing that was different about developing a game with an Indigenous community was honouring traditional intellectual property rights, which is a very Western term. We had to somehow meld Western intellectual property ownership with our traditional values. For the Iñupiaq, we don’t own the stories we tell—they are passed down from generation to generation. Often times stories can be very similar between villages, and we had to navigate how to walk through that. Robert Nasruk Cleveland is the storyteller who is most known for the Kunuuksaayuka story, so we wanted to gain his permission, but we knew he had passed away many years ago. We sought out his oldest surviving child, Minnie Gray, who is also a storyteller and culture bearer in her own right, for permission. When I went and visited her for the first time, I asked her what she thought about turning this story into a video game. She said, “Of course you should. This is how my great-grandchildren are going to hear this story.” I think Never Alone has really set the bar for games based on Indigenous cultures and demonstrates that if you’re going to make a game about an Indigenous culture, you need to make it with them.
Amy Fredeen
Executive Vice–President/Chief Financial Officer, Cook Inlet Tribal Council, Inc.; Lead Cultural Ambassador, Cultural Insights, Never Alone (Kisima Ingitchuna)
I grew up hearing some of our traditional stories, but was not fully aware of the values embedded in those stories. Being a part of the team that made this amazing game has been a gift. I have reconnected with stories long forgotten, and have been able to realize how important storytelling is for passing on wisdom and values. Amy Fredeen Lead Cultural Ambassador, Cultural Insights
From the very beginning, this project was a partnership. We made a commitment to spend a lot of time in the community, both in Anchorage and Utqiaġvik. But they also attended game shows and really immersed themselves in this complex and evolving medium. All of this went into, what we now call, an Inclusive Development Process. Alan Gershenfeld Founder and President, E-Line Media
It was important to me that the game represent the Iñupiat authentically. One of the biggest inspirations for me was being able to talk with artists and to look closely at the art and other cultural artifacts. We did a lot of this work in the collections of the Anchorage Museum and the Iñupiat Heritage Center in Alaska and the Seattle Art Museum and the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture, both located in Washington State, near our studios. Inuit art has a very strong voice through its use of material and its aesthetic approach, and it was important for me that this be reflected in the finished game. Dima Veryovka Art Director
Our language is precise. In the Iñupiat language, there’s a specific word for each thing. Many of our kids now have lost the language, but some are trying to learn. This game is part of that, and, by helping to translate for it, I am able to be part of that too. Anna Nageak Translation, Cultural Insights
I believe that through this game, somebody might become interested in the language. It could give them a spark of the possibilities in the Iñupiat language—in any language. You have to learn a new physiology of how sounds are made to learn a new language. Never Alone could make someone want to do that. James (Mumiġan) Nageak Translation, Voice Over, Cultural Insights
I want people to know that we are rich in oral histories and that we are at the forefront of the unfortunate effects of climate change up here. I hope the game succeeds! I hope […] people get to learn of the Iñupiat culture and the stories [we have] passed down. Tommy Nageak Founder and President, E-Line Media
I have a four-year-old grandson, so I’m learning video games. If Never Alone [can reach] the young people, whether they live in a village or outside, it will make them want to connect to their heritage and learn more. I did this because of my grandson. I want him to play a game that has the history of where he comes from. Aggie (Patik) Kellie Cultural Insights
A vast number of stories of Indigenous Elders—as it was told in the language— are works of pure beauty and poetry. The team has found a story from such a storyteller: Robert Nasruk Cleveland. Though it would require more deep investigation than one video game to fully understand, it is personally satisfying to me that we were able to elevate and celebrate one of the world’s greatest storytellers. Ishmael (Angaluuk) Hope Writer, Storyteller, Cultural Insights
Working on this game has been incredibly rewarding. The ability to be both a teacher of my culture and a student of game culture was tremendous. I hope people everywhere enjoy playing and learning through this work. Ronald (Aniqsuaq) Brower, Sr. Iñupiat Translation, Voice Over, Cultural Insights