Survivance as an Indigenously Determined Game

Abstract

Survivance (www.survivance.org) is an indigenous social impact game that honours storytelling and art as self-determined pathways to healing from historical trauma caused by colonization in Turtle Island (North America). Survivance is adapted from the multimedia health and wellness project Discovering Our Story, which was developed by the non-profit organization Wisdom of the Elders alongside indigenous storytellers. A playtesting study of the prototype was conducted with urban indigenous players living in Portland, Oregon, to determine the impact of Survivance. This paper describes the development process, design, playtesting, and outcomes of playtesting the game in the context of biskaabiiyang methodology, an Anishinaabe approach of “returning to ourselves”. Playtesting shows that intergenerational exchanges of traditions, stories, and art practices are pathways to wellbeing that influence the player's self, various forms of community, and the greater world, while also fostering a reciprocal relationship with spirit.