Shawnee Tribe Chief Ben Barnes has always been a big fan of video games. In fact, he spent countless hours playing a popular 1999 game called *Sid Meier’s Alpha Centauri*, which involved colonizing distant planets. So when the game studio Firaxis—creators of that game—reached out to him and his tribe about including their legendary leader, Tecumseh, in the upcoming *Civilization VII* game, Barnes was both surprised and excited.

“I couldn’t believe it,” Barnes said. “They wanted us to be part of the next *Civilization* game!”

For those unfamiliar, *Civilization* is a beloved strategy game series that started in 1991. It has millions of fans who enjoy building civilizations from scratch, managing everything from diplomacy to warfare, and leading iconic historical figures like Cleopatra and Gandhi. Over the years, the game has become known for its blend of real history and imaginative twists.

However, times have changed. As society becomes more aware of cultural sensitivity, especially around the portrayal of indigenous people in media, developers like Firaxis have had to rethink their approach. For instance, in 2010, Firaxis dropped plans to add a historical Pueblo leader after objections from tribal leaders. And in 2018, they faced criticism when they included a Cree leader in Canada without enough consultation.

To avoid making the same mistakes with Tecumseh, Firaxis knew they needed to collaborate closely with the Shawnee people to represent their culture accurately. This partnership was not only important to get the details right but also meaningful for Barnes and his tribe.

“This was our chance to show our strength and pride,” Barnes explained. “Why shouldn’t we see ourselves in video games? We should be reflected in all kinds of media. This was an opportunity we couldn’t pass up.”

For Firaxis, it was also a learning experience. In the past, the series had been criticized for its casual treatment of history, especially with how Indigenous groups and colonization were portrayed. This time around, they took extra steps to ensure an authentic portrayal of Shawnee culture. The game’s producers spent months working with the tribe, asking questions like what a Shawnee university or library might look like in the future and even creating new Shawnee words for futuristic concepts.

One of the most exciting parts of this collaboration was Shawnee actor Dean Dillon being cast as the voice of Tecumseh. When Dillon auditioned for a role speaking Shawnee, he had no idea he’d end up playing such an important figure from his own history.

“I was shocked when they offered me the role,” Dillon said. “Seeing Tecumseh’s face with my voice coming out—it was surreal!”

The *Civilization* series has always included Indigenous leaders—like Montezuma of the Aztecs—but when the game first started, developers didn’t think much about how these figures were represented. Over time, though, they realized people took these portrayals seriously.

“We thought we were just letting players change history,” said Sid Meier, the creator of the series. “But as we went along, we learned that some things needed more care.”

The upcoming *Civilization VII*, expected in February, will reflect these lessons. For example, the developers are removing the term “barbarians” for non-playable hostile groups and allowing players to form diplomatic relations with them instead.

As the game’s audience has grown beyond the U.S. and Europe—selling over 70 million copies worldwide—players from around the world want to see their own cultures represented. Recent editions have included civilizations like New Zealand’s Māori and South America’s Mapuche, complete with themed music and native languages.

“It’s now a mark of pride for a country to be included in *Civilization*,” Meier said. “We’ve even had countries lobby us to be part of the game.”