Playing the Aerial: Storytelling, Spirits and the Sky

数字技术的发展有助于全球化以及文化和知识的联系（Pasch，2015）。曾经孤立的社区和文化现在正沉浸在全球化世界的复杂系统中，远离它们曾经存在的“真空”（Pasch，2015，188；Egenfeldt-Nielsen，Smith和Tosca，2012）。电子游戏充当文化和意义的生产者，位于“社会塑造的复杂意义系统”中，传播知识并代表身份（Egenfeldt-Nielsen，Smith 和 Tosca，2012，157；Dittmer，2010）。人们越来越担心西方文化对加拿大和阿拉斯加的年轻因纽特人和因纽皮亚特人的影响，互联网已经对土著语言和与传统知识的联系产生了巨大影响（Pasch，2015）。然而，土著社区制作的游戏越来越多，成为这些社会的新收入来源，传播土著知识并复兴土著身份（Upper One Games，2014；Never Alone，2014）。这项研究将重点关注这些本土游戏以及年轻的因纽特人和因纽皮特人对他们与空中互动的看法。空中维度对于这些土著社区的传统精神和信仰来说是神圣的，这可以用来了解土著游戏对他们的看法和身份的影响。本土游戏玩家的焦点小组以及对游戏制作人的精英访谈将有助于更好地理解本土制作的视频游戏的影响，以及它们所产生的看法、知识和身份。

Developments in digital technology have aided in the globalisationand connection of cultures and knowledge (Pasch, 2015).Communities and cultures that were once isolated are now beingimmersed in the complex systems of the globalised world, movingaway from the "vacuums" they once existed within (Pasch, 2015,188; Egenfeldt-Nielsen, Smith and Tosca, 2012). Video games actas producers of culture and meaning, situated within "a complexsystem of meanings shaped by society", disseminating knowledge,and representing identities (Egenfeldt-Nielsen, Smith and Tosca,2012, 157; Dittmer, 2010). Concerns have been increasing overthe impacts of Western cultures on the young Inuit and Iñupiat ofCanada and Alaska, with the internet already greatly impactingupon indigenous languages and connections to traditionalknowledge (Pasch, 2015). However, there has been an increasingnumber of games produced by indigenous communities, acting asa new source of income for these societies, disseminatingindigenous knowledge and acting as a resurgence of indigenousidentities (Upper One Games, 2014; Never Alone, 2014). Thisresearch will focus upon these indigenous games and young Inuitand Iñupiat perceptions of their engagement with the aerial morespecifically. The aerial dimension is sacred to traditional spiritualityand beliefs for these indigenous communities, and this can beutilised to understand the impacts of indigenous games in theformulations of their perceptions and identities. Focus groups withindigenous gamers and elite interviews with game producers willfacilitate greater understanding of the implications of indigenousproduced video games, and the perceptions, knowledge andidentities that they generate.