Fwd: appropriation of a culture--an FYI

[David Lewis]

>Date: Tue, 15 Feb 2000 07:27:22 -0800
>From: Donna Ralstin <dralstin at OREGON.UOREGON.EDU>
>Subject: Fwd: appropriation of a culture--an FYI
>X-Sender: dralstin at oregon.uoregon.edu
>To: coyotez at OREGON.UOREGON.EDU
>X-Mailer: QUALCOMM Windows Eudora Pro Version 4.2.0.58
>Original-recipient: rfc822;coyotez at oregon.uoregon.edu
>
>
>>Date: Tue, 15 Feb 2000 09:58:05 -0500 (EST)
>>From: ShngSprt at aol.com
>>Subject: appropriation of a culture--an FYI
>>To: ShngSprt at aol.com
>>X-Mailer: AOL 5.0 for Windows sub 44
>>Original-recipient: rfc822;dralstin at oregon.uoregon.edu
>>
>>Subj:   appropriation of a culture
>>Date:   2/15/00 9:25:16 AM Eastern Standard Time
>>From:   FNAIC
>>
>>Subj:    appropriation of a culture
>>
>>Date:   2/14/2000 7:08:27 PM Pacific Standard Time
>>From:   karttu at nantucket.net (Frances Karttunen)
>>Sender: owner-nahuat-l at server2.umt.edu
>>Reply-to:   nahuat-l at server.umt.edu
>>
>>
>>
>>The following will soon appear in the SSILA Bulletin
>>
>>INDIAN LANGUAGES TO BE INCORPORATED INTO COMPUTER GAME
>>
>>Heriberto Avelino (avelino at ucla.edu) writes us that, some weeks ago,
>>he received a series of messages from a CD-ROM development company in
>>Los Angeles.  They are working on an update of "Age of Empires II",
>>an "educational, historical CD-ROM computer game" that is marketed by
>>Microsoft.  This enormously popular "real-time strategy" game combines
>>"stunning graphics" with the "drama and intrigue" of world history from
>>the Fall of Rome through the Middle Ages.  According to the game's
>>official website:
>>
>>     ...players are challenged to build their nations into great
>>     civilizations and defeat the enemy by making strategic decisions
>>     throughout the game.  Each of the 13 civilizations represented in
>>     "Age of Empires II," including the Mongols, Celts, Vikings and
>>     Japanese, features distinctive attributes, buildings and techno-
>>     logies and a unique combat unit based on its historical counterpart.
>>     In addition, "Age of Empires II" features five campaigns based on
>>     the adventures of prominent historical figures, including Joan of
>>     Arc, William Wallace and Ghengis Khan, that draw players deeper
>>     into the game as they march alongside the hero to victory.
>>
>>In the update that is being prepared, two New World civilizations will
>>being added to the roster:  The Aztec Empire and the Classical Maya.
>>Heriberto was contacted to see if he would be interested in recording
>>dialogue in Nahuatl.  The developers explained:
>>
>>     Single word statements and commands will occur when the player
>>     clicks on a villager, priest, military man or king (one set
>>     each for the various cultures).  The client is anxious that
>>     the pronunciations be historically and linguistically accurate.
>>     They are providing us translations with phonetic spellings.
>>     That means that, in the case of Nahuatl, it will be Classical
>>     Nahuatl that would be spoken.  [We think] it important that
>>     people native to the country in general, and familiar with
>>     Nahuatl specifically (even if it's only the "modern" version)
>>     be utilized for the speaking parts, because that would greatly
>>     increase our chances of correct pronunciations.  We need one
>>     woman and two men for each language.  We will have each man
>>     do two speaking parts in varying "voices."  Each person would
>>     have about twenty (or less) single and double word phrases to
>>     utter.
>>
>>Heriberto rejected the job because he felt that it was not right for
>>a company like Microsoft to use contemporary cultures and languages
>>in combat games.  To him, this is far from being an "educational" or
>>"historic" tool.  Doubtless, however, the forces of commodification
>>will prevail, and hordes of adolescent gamers around the world will
>>soon be (electronically) crying "Die, vile scum!" in Classical Nahuatl
>>as they hurl their virtual spears at the enemy.  (One wonders if the
>>parameters of the game allow for the defeat of Cortez?)
>>
>>Meanwhile, for the curious, further information on "Age of Empires II"
>>can be found on the web at:
>>
>>                  http://www.microsoft.com/games/age2/
>>
>>Lest you think this is a small matter, either culturally or commercially,
>>Microsoft has so far shipped over two million copies of "Age of Empires
>>II", and it sells at a retail price of $54.95.


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               David Lewis
         P.O. Box 3086
Eugene, OR 97403, USA
541.684.9003  Cell 541.954.2466
talapus at kalapuya.com, coyotez at darkwing.uoregon.edu,
http://gladstone.uoregon.edu/~coyotez
http://www.kalapuya.com
http://darkwing.uoregon.edu/~coyotez

Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde, Oregon
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