First Nations people exist. That is it. That is the one rule that cannot be argued, or cannot be argued. Indigenous peoples are everywhere in Australia, despite many genocide attempts throughout history.
While this is not a difficult concept to grasp, many video games that are made and set in Australia do not understand this. Forza Horizon 3 Australia turned into a racing stage, which is disgusting given the history of sacred Indigenous sites turned into race tracks or amusement parks.
Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel represents the moon as Australia. While it contains many humorous dialogues referencing Australia’s colonial history, it fails to pay respect or recognition to what happened to First Nations People as a result.
Ty the Tasmanian Tiger is a game that succeeds in some ways and falls short in others. While it fits the trappings of a colonial video game, eventually usurping aspects of indigenous cultures into its gameplay elements, it at least hints at First Peoples mythology, the Dreamtime – albeit in a simplified sense.
The latest game to fail spectacularly at the First Nations representation is Dinkumfrom solo developer James Bendon.
Dinkumcurrently an Early Access game, offers an experience similar to Stardew Valley and crossing animals, a tribute to both in design. All this while set in a fictional and apocalyptic version of Australia.
So what are you doing in Dinkum? Well, it can be summed up in one word:
Colonize.
As you set out on this land inhabited by kangaroo, emu, and crocodiles, you are expected to tame the land by learning how to farm and hunt, and work to build a settlement. But don’t worry, there’s no one else here – so it’s all territory for you to claim. That said, on the land that is inhabited, you’ll eventually find remnants of the past that hint at the game’s post-apocalyptic nature. You can dig up things from ‘modern Australia’, but this to me is an even bigger problem: The only artifacts from the past are from colonized Australia with no reference to First Nations People? Also suggesting that the world’s longest-lived culture would not survive a capitalist apocalypse? It all feels so wrong.
In its premise, Dinkum presents’terra nullius‘.
Terra nullius means ‘no man’s land’ and was a term used by the British to justify the colonization and settlement of what would come to be known as Australia.
Terra Nullius was not only used as a justification for colonization, but also justified the beginning of 200+ years of genocide by the British: hunting parties were organized to hunt and kill indigenous people; massacres were officially recorded and carried out; children were stolen; slavery and blackbird were widespread. These are just a few reasons why even the suggestion of Terra Nullius is a big problem.
Dinkum starts with this. This fictional take on Australia is empty, nobody’s, and free to be controlled by you.
A recent Twitter thread by @alex_verdant brought a lot of eyes to the problems Dinkum. In particular, they noted extremely disturbing dialogue and provided screenshots.
Dinkum makes fun of trading kids for cutlery. Now, it was actually @alex_verdant’s Twitter thread that prompted me to play and research the game itself, but when I got to the same scene in person, it seemed like this dialogue was tacitly changed:
But writing a joke like this primarily suggests ignorance to First Nations Peoples and their history at best, and malicious intent at worst.
Here’s why: First Nations People in Australia have endured several genocide attempts, one of which became known as the “Stolen Generation.”
The stolen generation refers to Indigenous children who were removed from their families in the early 1900s to around the late 1970s. These children were removed because they were considered mixed race – born of one Indigenous and one Non-Indigenous parent. As such, they were considered suitable candidates to be ‘assimilated’ into Anglo-Australian society.
This assimilation was an initiative to essentially enslave children and forcibly grow their ‘blackness’ for generations. An attempted genocide. As part of this, many native children were also traded between settlers for various things – including household items.
In any other game, a dialogue about bartering children for cutlery can seem like a light-hearted joke. But with so much of Dinkum clearly rooted in the Australian landscape and culture, this line is anything but. It’s strangely specific and very hurtful. It may be out of ignorance, but that doesn’t make it any better.
While researching the development of this game, I found that people had asked Bendon if Dinkum had representation from the First Nations, to which he replied, “I agree that having elements from the many Indigenous Australian cultures would only make the game better. I don’t identify as an Indigenous Australian, so I thought it would be inappropriate to adopt elements of their culture.”
Some would say this is fair. But as a First Nations person, I challenge this response and offer the following points to anyone making a game in Australia, or any game that references Australia.
- When creating a game set in Australia, whether it’s a fictional version or not, you can’t erase First Nations Peoples. They are the First Peoples of Australia meaning: they are an integral part of the country’s history, culture and identity. Deleting them perpetuates Terra Nullius’ lie.
- You can’t say you thought it was inappropriate to use things from First Nations Cultures, and then make an inappropriate joke about child trafficking in the same game.
- Any game made on Australian land – stolen land – can and must recognize First Nations Peoplesimilar to how Untitled Goose Game refers to First Nations People in the credits. This is a simple gesture, but goes a long way in terms of recognition and respect.
- Hire First Nations People as advisors for your video game. Yes. They exist. If the premise involves a fictional or non-fictional Australia, it is important to hire First Nations People as advisors. Budget for it in the development of the video game. Being a solo developer is no excuse for completely ignoring the history of the land and the original custodians of the land.
Read: Bringing Indigenous Cultural Expertise to Game Development with broken roads
With that last point, let’s make this absolutely clear:
First Nations People can and should be consulted about video games set in Australia. By not including the peoples, cultures and history of the First Nations, you are colonizing the reality of what really happened in this country’s bloody history.
It is to perpetuate the myth of Terra Nullius.
And it is to erase First Nations Peoples.
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