Dr. J. R. Parker - The I'powahsin Project

Current book project: Developing Racing and Driving Games
for Paraglyph Press.

I'powahsin is the name of a research project for the creation of a portable (GameBoy) Game that will assist in the teaching of the Blackfoot aboriginal language. This project is being untertaken by a small group of researchers at the Digital Media Laboratory at the University of Calgary and at Red Crow College. The goal is to build a prototype GameBoy game that illustrates the potential of the device and the game genre for teaching, and thereby preserving, indiginous languages. The heart of this project was begun in 2004, but we have only recently started deigning the game and coding the engine. We will build the basic game engine and construct the narrative, graphics, and sound. The basis of the game will be a Blackfoot story, and the game will be unique in that it will be playable in the Blackfoot language.

Digital Media Lab Home Page
Dr. Parker's home page.

What does I'powahsin mean?

It is a Blackfoot word meaning 'speaking'. The game will be a quest in which instructions are given to the player verbally, Another purpose is to allow native game players to see their culture presented in the interactive medium, and to expose them to aspects of their culture that they perhaps have not encountered. Very few games contain aboriginal characters.

If the project succeeds as we hope, then this 'game' will assist in the preservation of aboriginal cultures in North America.

What is distinctive about this project?

First of all, this is one of the very few computer games (along with Turtle Island ) that even acknowledges the existance of aboriginals and their culture. Aboriginal culture is the key aspect of both I'powahsin and Turtle Island. The research team includes aboriginal faculty and experts in aboriginal culture and language.
The game will be playable in the Blackfoot language, but has the potential to be duplicated in multiple languages. English will be used as a root language for display of written material and for translations.
The assets in the game (images, sounds, music) will ultimately be created by aboriginal artists and musicians. This is for the sake of reality, to support the correct 'look and feel.'
The terrain and base story will be that of the band concerned.

What are some of the questions that could be addressed?

This list is not comprehensive and not in a particular order.

To what culture does a 10 year old Blackfoot child respond?.
We propose to construct a game based on a Blackfoot story and another based on popular culture. Which one works better? In short, is the child part of the Blackfoot culture or part of the 10 year old culture? Or does it mater at all, for the purposes of the game?
Do aboriginals play games the same way as the general population?
Perhaps this should be "do they play the same kinds of games" and "do they play the same amount?"
Can playing a game be used to teach language?
Are there ways that we can structure the game so as to encourage language acquisition by the player?
Games as a Tool for Cultural Preservation
The computer game is a new, late 20th century medium. At first, like may media before, it was used exclusively for a single purpose, in this case entertainment. A primary goal of this project is the preservation of aboriginal culture, partly by creating a capsule summary and partly by providing an entertaining way for aboriginals to experience it and become closer to it.
Design and Implementation of Multi-Cultural Software
It is true that Java provides a basic facility for display of multiple languages and for what they call regionalization. Multicultural software is a much more involved concept, and this game would be one of the first instances of such an idea. In summary, the game must present itself to the player in a manner ameniable to that person's culture (I.E. be culturally sensitive). In addition, it must be possible to represent the basic elenments of that culture in a modular fashion. Many bands may be added to the game after its original construction, and that process should not involve a significant rewrite of the game itself. Ideally it would need only the addition of a cultural nodule, an object that the game can use dynamically.
Use of Audio Synthesis in Computer Games
Audio files tend to be large, and can require a significant amount of time to upload to a player's computer. There is a temptation to keep these files small, resulting in audio loops that are more repetative than they need to be. Audio synthesis on the player's computer can be used to alleviate this problem, and would be a useful way to use all of those CPU cycles that take place between keystrokes.

sounds, and music.

Relevant Material

Thunderbird Games West coast aboriginal content project.
Raven tales, a West Coast TV show.
Red Crow Community College.
First Nations University in Regina.
Turtle Island Project at the Digital Media Lab in Calgary.

For communication with the group, with questions, ideas, offers, etc, send mail to
jparker at ucalgary .ca

Collaborators and Co-Applicants: Team T.I.

Dr. J.R. Parker, of the Digital Media Laboratory, University of Calgary. Professor of Computer Science and Adjunct Professor of Kinesiology.. Curriculum Vita

Katrin Becker, Senior Instructor, Faculty of Science and Ph.D. Candidate, Faculty of Education. Specialist in Serious Game Theory and games for teaching and training in general. Her CV.

Implementation Team

Deifante Walters
Eric Yeung
J. Mason

and a host of others.

Student Involvement: Graduate and Undergraduate

Lori Shyba, PH.D. student and principal of Sundial Media. Her resume.

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