Does a Wiki post make it Valid?

Does a Wiki post make it Valid?

wiki  

There is now a Wiki entry about Native Americans characters in video games.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Native_American_video_game_characters
While this list is far from complete, it is interesting that this topic has garnered an entire entry on its own.
This begs the question, "does a topic become valid once it has a wiki entry?" Perhaps, as it certainly represents at least SOMEONE's interest in posting an entry.
The current / recent trend seems to support this notion as well, as there have been more articles and blog entries about this topic. One could even wonder if this specialized interest is similar to the trend of Native characters becoming "cool" in film (as you know, 'Indian films' cycle through as the new Hollywood 'coolness' every decade or so...).
Whatever the reason, it is nice to see individuals giving more thought to the Indigenous character, no matter the medium.

Digital Natives

Digital Natives

tribal nation  

It's been growing and gaining momentum for some time now...

Native American artists and storytellers are beginning to bend new tools and technology to Our cultural needs.

Throughout history we would adopt new / emerging technological advances - such as glass beads and German silver in place of natural quills and abalone shell adornments - and infuse the medium with our particular cultural values, information, meaning. Similarly, Indigenous people are now using digital media (such as 2d and 3d animation) to tell our stories.

A recent article in Native Peoples Magazine by Kade L. Twist (Cherokee), "brave new worlds - Indigenous Animation Movement Rising," outlines this phenomenon. In the article, Twist mentions several Indigenous digital artists including, Joseph Erb (Cherokee), Nathan Young (Pawnee/Delaware/Kiowa), Roy Boney, Jr. (Cherokee), Wathene Young (Cherokee/Delaware), Matt Mason (Cherokee), Anthony Deiter (Plains Cree/Ojibwe), and Joseph Lazare (Mohawk).

(On an unrelated note: this list seems rather Cherokee-heavy, doesn't it?...where are the Caddo digital artists? Oh wait...I'm right here. Heh.)

It is not only refreshing, but vastly and personally rewarding, to see other Natives working in a similar medium (digital art / media).

The Native Peoples article also mentions the Onida Nation's Four Directions Media, which operates Four Directions Productions (4DP) and Canada’s Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN) as bigger, power-house contributors within the digital realm.

This is exactly what we need more of: Indigenous people creating Indigenous content especially in digital media. Just like me, these individuals are working hard to make this a reality and we can use all the support we can get. That's why it's good to see an article that celebrates this work.

Article in Native Peoples Magazine

Article in Native Peoples Magazine

video games  

Published Article

An article I've written, "Searching for Indigenous Heroes," about Native characters in video games, has been picked up by Native Peoples magazine. The issue hits newsstands soon, so pick up yours or order it online today!

Here's the description from the Native Peoples website: 2007 January/February:

"Viewpoint: The author outlines the history of Indigenous heroes in the video-game realm, and finds some losers and at least one game worthy of its Native roots: Prey, with voice by Michael Greyeyes (Cree). By Michael Sheyahshe (Caddo)."