Elizabeth LaPensée, P.hD. is an award-winning designer, writer, artist, and researcher who creates and studies Indigenous-led media such as games and comics. She is Anishinaabe with family from Bay Mills, Métis, and Irish. She is an Assistant Professor of Media & Information and Writing, Rhetoric & American Cultures at Michigan State University.
In the presentation below, Elizabeth LaPensée discusses Along the River of Spacetime, a virtual reality game which shares Anishinaabeg teachings relating to land practices, star knowledge, and quantum physics in an interactive non-linear journey. Merging 360° film and hand drawn 2D art with gameplay of relating to stars to replenish river ecosystems, this game reflects Indigenous Futurisms by drawing attention to Indigenous stories that share scientific teachings. So, too, can these teachings be shared through intentional design. As players bring stars into form through patience, stillness, and focus, constellations connect, unlocking teachings about water in Anishinaabemowin and activating the growth of medicinal plants. This work speaks to how XR can reinforce relationships with place and expressions of flourishing.
Thank you for sharing this exquisite piece with us Beth. Along the River of Spacetime. Did you implement many changes between the demo and full versions of the game, and if so, what inspired those changes?
The demo was a great way to see what worked and what needed improvement, as well as be able to continue visiting the river system and gathering new 360 footage. I added instructions in English and both added and replaced footage, but the way of interacting, music from Exquisite Ghost, and 2D art remained the same.
The opening of the game transformed to adjust from a gallery setting to homes and community centers. The Science Gallery Detroit was incredibly supportive and offered youth guides to be present in the exhibition space to tell people how to play the game. They would guide up to three players at a time to sit behind a cutout copper canoe, get them all set up, and help them understand how to play. Since players asked for more guidance, the game now includes voice over instructions in English and then moves to full immersion in Anishinaabemowin.
Originally, the game opened in a starry digitally rendered environment, but it just didn't feel in alignment with the rest of the levels made with 360 footage. I visited at a wigwam with the hope of giving the player a sense of being grounded in a real environment and carrying that thread throughout the game.
At least 3000 people have already played Along the River of Spacetime. Are there any memorable reactions, or patterns that you've observed in the ways that participants have been engaging with the game thus far?
I've realized that Along the River of Spacetime relies on the player mostly having an existing knowledge of Anishinaabe constellations, which is important to maintain, since Anishinaabe players are the primary audience. Of course, this was an issue during the DEPTH exhibition, because the Science Gallery Detroit is so popular that they needed to move people through the space quickly. This isn't really likely when people are sitting staring at a sky full of stars trying to carefully find each one (and sometimes they just want to look around enjoying the river and listening to Exquisite Ghost's music). I didn't want a game that gave away all of the knowledge with pattern memorization and matching mechanics. Instead, I hope for them to be in that place, practicing patience and attentiveness. So, to make gameplay more reasonable for players who may not have had experience with Anishinaabe constellations, we made a quick adjustment to include a screen on the wall of the exhibition space that rotated between art of the full constellations. That way, while people were waiting in line, they could get a sense of the stars, which helped more people be able to more fully experience the game by accomplishing more levels.
As a sneak preview of your work in progress presentation directly below can I ask you to please also give us a short introduction to the ways that you engage with nature connection themes within your digital art and design practice? For example, how do you navigate the opportunities and challenges of digital media in order to communicate Anishinaabe teachings
Although Along the River of Spacetime specifically relates to Anishinaabe teachings, it's important to acknowledge that I am Anishinaabe with family from Bay Mills, Métis named after Elizabeth Morris, and also Irish. I'm a mixed 80's kid who grew up playing video games, watching science fiction shows and films, and teaching myself digital art while also hand drawing, beading, learning about plant medicines from my Auntie, and geeking out experimenting. Connecting land and waters with art and design has always been interwoven for me. I see it as an opportunity in that, for example, I can take a photo of birch bark and use that repeatedly in art without taking from a tree, and a challenge in that technology changes so rapidly that it is difficult to adequately archive and carry on digital works. All I can know for sure really is that I express myself in this moment, remembering those who came before me, with hope for the next generations. Imagining futures is connected with taking responsibility and action right now.
What's next? How have the learnings gained from this production influenced your ongoing work?
Outside of the game, it was really amazing to just play around exporting 360 film to 2D photos, because while I've been told stories about why wigwams are made the way they are, it became so clear visually. I've been thinking about how 2D, 3D, and other dimensions of art interact and how they can convey spatiality and movement. I hand draw 2D art, and while I'll definitely keep doing that, this work has had me thinking more and more about how I used to play around with software like Bryce 3D. I would love to have a way to expand from 360 film as environments in VR to full on creating 3D art.
Thank you again for sharing your experiences making this stunning 360 video virtual reality game.
Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to share this work. If anyone would like access for free on Oculus Go, they can reach out to me!
