Playing the Aerial: Storytelling, Spirits and the Sky

Developments in digital technology have aided in the globalisation
and connection of cultures and knowledge (Pasch, 2015).
Communities and cultures that were once isolated are now being
immersed in the complex systems of the globalised world, moving
away from the "vacuums" they once existed within (Pasch, 2015,
188; Egenfeldt-Nielsen, Smith and Tosca, 2012). Video games act
as producers of culture and meaning, situated within "a complex
system of meanings shaped by society", disseminating knowledge,
and representing identities (Egenfeldt-Nielsen, Smith and Tosca,
2012, 157; Dittmer, 2010). Concerns have been increasing over
the impacts of Western cultures on the young Inuit and Iñupiat of
Canada and Alaska, with the internet already greatly impacting
upon indigenous languages and connections to traditional
knowledge (Pasch, 2015). However, there has been an increasing
number of games produced by indigenous communities, acting as
a new source of income for these societies, disseminating
indigenous knowledge and acting as a resurgence of indigenous
identities (Upper One Games, 2014; Never Alone, 2014). This
research will focus upon these indigenous games and young Inuit
and Iñupiat perceptions of their engagement with the aerial more
specifically. The aerial dimension is sacred to traditional spirituality
and beliefs for these indigenous communities, and this can be
utilised to understand the impacts of indigenous games in the
formulations of their perceptions and identities. Focus groups with
indigenous gamers and elite interviews with game producers will
facilitate greater understanding of the implications of indigenous
produced video games, and the perceptions, knowledge and
identities that they generate.