MENOMINEE, Wis. — Eleanore Falck is a junior at the University of Wisconsin-Stout, studying game design and development art.
She has spent the last two years working on designing a video game called “Growing up Ojibwe.” It was something asked of her during a two year internship with the Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission.
“This game is an educational game that’s geared toward middle school age range children, and it is to discuss present-day Ojibwe culture, as well as history and general information about Ojibwe culture and treaty rights,” Falck said.
She based the game and its characters off of the commission’s children’s books and other informational materials on the Ojibwe tribe.
“These characters are Ojibwe youth and in the game you meet the character’s grandmother, and she sends you on a mission to learn about Ojibwe history and culture, and also share what you learned with people in the game,” Falck said.
Her game plays like “Super Mario.”
Instead of collecting coins or mushrooms, Tommy and Annie, the two characters players can choose to play as, collect wisdom from spirit guides.
“You’ll also have experience in the game harvesting maple sap to make maple sugar or maple syrup,” Falck said. "You’ll go spear fishing, and you’ll also harvest wild rice.”
A Native American herself, Falck doesn’t want the history of her tribe, the Oneida Tribe, or the Ojibwe, to be forgotten.
“I hope that people will gain a basic understanding of treaty rights and tribal sovereignty and Ojibwe culture and history as a whole,” Falck said. "This game is really meant to be an introduction to these topics, and so I hope that people will like to explore more after this.”
“Growing Up Ojibwe: The Game” is available to download on the Google Play Store on Android devices.