Shawnee Tribe Chief Ben Barnes has been a gamer for much of his life, spending countless hours playing titles like Sid Meier’s *Alpha Centauri* in the late 90s. So, when game developers from Firaxis Games reached out to him years later with a proposal to feature the famous Shawnee leader Tecumseh in their upcoming title *Civilization VII*, Barnes was both excited and surprised.

“I couldn’t believe it at first,” Barnes said. “Did they really want us to be part of the next *Civilization* game?”

The *Civilization* series, which began in 1991, has long been a favorite among fans of strategy and empire-building games. The gameplay involves players choosing historical leaders like Cleopatra or Gandhi, developing a civilization from a single settlement into a powerful empire, and navigating diplomacy, trade, science, and culture. Over the years, the series has sold millions of copies and is considered one of the most successful strategy franchises ever.

However, as video games and society evolved, so did the conversation around how cultures—especially Indigenous ones—are portrayed in media. The *Civilization* franchise belongs to a genre known as 4X (explore, expand, exploit, exterminate), and past attempts to include Indigenous leaders have sometimes sparked controversy. For example, Firaxis scrapped plans to feature a Pueblo leader in 2010 after objections from the tribe. And when they introduced a Cree leader in 2018, there was public backlash in Canada.

For *Civilization VII*, Firaxis understood they needed to collaborate closely with the Shawnee people to accurately and respectfully represent Tecumseh and Shawnee culture. For Chief Barnes and his tribe, it was an exciting opportunity to not only highlight their history but also see their culture represented in a futuristic and imaginative context.

“For us, this is about cultural expression,” said Barnes. “Why shouldn’t we be part of this? Of course, we should be in video games. We should be reflected in all forms of media. We jumped at the chance to make our history shine.”

For Firaxis, this partnership was more than just adding another character. It was a way to address criticisms from Indigenous leaders about previous portrayals and to improve how cultures are represented in games. The collaboration involved months of discussions with the Shawnee about everything from future Shawnee buildings to creating new words in their language for modern concepts.

Sid Meier, who founded the *Civilization* series, acknowledged that past versions of the game didn’t always handle history with the care it deserved. Early versions of the game included controversial figures like Stalin and Mao Zedong without fully considering the implications.

“We didn’t realize at the time how seriously people would take it,” Meier admitted. “We thought, ‘Hey, you can rewrite history here.’ But sometimes we stretched things too far.”

The upcoming *Civilization VII*, set for release in February, will feature several changes based on feedback from players and cultural groups. One notable change is that the game will no longer refer to certain hostile groups as “barbarians,” allowing players to instead engage diplomatically with them.

As the game’s player base expanded globally—selling over 70 million copies worldwide—fans have increasingly wanted their own cultures represented. Recent editions of *Civilization* have featured music and languages from various cultures, including the Māori of New Zealand and the Mapuche of South America.

“It’s now seen as an honor for a nation to be included in *Civilization*,” Meier said. “We’ve had countries lobbying us to include their leaders.”

For Barnes and others involved in this project, being part of such a widely beloved game is more than just about entertainment—it’s about representation and preserving their culture for future generations. Firaxis and its publisher 2K Games are even contributing hundreds of thousands of dollars toward Shawnee language revitalization efforts as part of their collaboration with the tribe.

Shawnee actor Dean Dillon, who voices Tecumseh in the game, expressed his excitement about being involved. After auditioning without knowing which character he’d play, he was thrilled to find out he’d be voicing one of his people’s greatest historical figures.

“When they told me I got the role of Tecumseh, I couldn’t believe it,” Dillon said. “It was surreal seeing Tecumseh’s face but hearing my voice come out.”

While *Civilization* has always included Indigenous leaders—starting with Montezuma of the Aztecs—the approach to selecting these figures has evolved. The goal now is to reflect history thoughtfully while also imagining new futures where these cultures thrive.

As players gear up for *Civilization VII*, it’s clear that Firaxis has taken steps not only to improve gameplay but also to ensure that more people see their heritage reflected in a respectful and exciting way.