MIAMI, Okla. — Shawnee Tribe Chief Ben Barnes spent a good chunk of his childhood playing video games, especially the 1999 classic *Sid Meier’s Alpha Centauri*. He recalls putting in “probably hundreds of hours” colonizing distant planets in the game.

Fast forward 25 years, and the same studio behind that game, Firaxis, approached the Shawnee Tribe with an exciting idea. They wanted to feature Tecumseh, a legendary Shawnee leader, as a playable character in their upcoming game *Civilization VII*. Barnes couldn’t believe it at first.

“I was like, ‘This can’t be true,'” he said. “Do they really want us to be part of the next *Civilization* game?”

*Civilization* is a massively popular strategy game series that has captivated millions of fans since its debut in 1991. Players build and grow empires from scratch, choosing famous leaders like Cleopatra or Gandhi to lead their civilizations through the ages. The game blends real-world history with imaginative twists, all while challenging players to develop cities, negotiate with rivals, and advance science, culture, and more.

According to Circana, which tracks U.S. video game sales, *Civilization* is the best-selling strategy game franchise ever. But as video games have evolved over the decades, so too has the way society views historical representation. The days of casually incorporating historical figures without considering their cultural significance are fading.

In the past, not everyone was happy about how their cultures were included in the game, especially since the core gameplay revolves around expansion and resource exploitation—part of a genre known as 4X, which stands for “explore, expand, exploit, and exterminate.” For example, in 2010, Firaxis scrapped plans to include a Pueblo leader after objections from tribal leaders. A Cree leader was added in 2018 but faced criticism in Canada for how the culture was represented.

Firaxis knew that if they were going to do Tecumseh justice, they needed to work closely with the Shawnee people. For Chief Barnes and the tribe, this was not just about getting Tecumseh into a video game; it was an opportunity to see their culture represented in modern media in a meaningful way.

“For us, it’s really about cultural expression,” Barnes explained. “Why not us? Why shouldn’t we be in a video game? We should see ourselves reflected in every type of media. So we seized the opportunity.”

For Firaxis developers, this collaboration was a chance to improve how they represent Indigenous cultures in their games. For the Shawnee people, it became an avenue to share their history and language with a global audience.

Series founder Sid Meier and other developers admit that earlier games didn’t always handle history respectfully. Indigenous cultures were often treated too casually, especially when mixed with themes of colonization. But this time around, Firaxis took extra care and spent months working with the Shawnee to ensure Tecumseh’s portrayal would be authentic and thoughtful.

“We wanted to make sure it’s a sincere recreation of Shawnee culture,” said Andrew Frederiksen, a producer on the game. They even asked questions like what a Shawnee university or library would look like in the future and worked with the tribe to create new Shawnee words for futuristic concepts.

The partnership between Firaxis and the Shawnee also extends beyond just game development. As part of the deal, Firaxis and its parent company 2K Games are donating hundreds of thousands of dollars towards efforts to revitalize the Shawnee language.

When Shawnee actor Dean Dillon auditioned for a role involving speaking his native language, he had no idea he’d end up voicing Tecumseh himself. Tecumseh was a powerful military and political leader who united Native American tribes to resist U.S. expansion in the early 1800s.

“I just gave it my best shot,” Dillon said. “Then a few weeks later, I got the call offering me the role of Tecumseh. I couldn’t believe it—I ran around my house shouting!”

Seeing Tecumseh’s face but hearing his own voice come out during gameplay felt “surreal” for Dillon.

While *Civilization* has included Indigenous leaders before—like Montezuma of the Aztecs in the original 1991 game—Meier admits that back then they didn’t think too deeply about these figures’ historical weight. Early versions of the game even included controversial characters like Josef Stalin and Mao Zedong without much consideration for their real-world legacies.

“We never thought people would take it as seriously as they do,” Meier said. “We always kind of felt like this was a way for people to change history—maybe even make Stalin a good guy. But yeah, maybe that was pushing it too far.”

The developers have learned a lot since then.

The upcoming *Civilization VII*, set for release in February, will even change how it handles non-playable characters traditionally labeled as “barbarians.” Instead of just being enemies to fight, players can now build diplomatic relations with them.

As *Civilization*’s popularity has grown worldwide—selling more than 70 million copies—players from various cultures have asked for their societies to be represented in the game. Recent editions have included civilizations like New Zealand’s Māori people and South America’s Mapuche tribe.

“It’s now seen as an honor for a nation to be included in *Civilization*,” Meier said. “We’ve even been lobbied by different countries.”

As *Civilization VII* brings Tecumseh to life for millions of players around the world, this partnership stands as a powerful example of how video games can offer more than just entertainment—they can also serve as platforms for cultural celebration and education.