Last edition, I played The Curious Expedition 2 and The Oregon Trail, and enjoyed them, but was ultimately left feeling quite empty. I wanted to respond by trying to fill a kind of historical, indigenous-perspective-sized hole, but then I found When Rivers Were Trails. It’s not filling a hole. It’s overflowing; a beautiful experience, entirely in and of itself. Beautiful, but sad. It tells the story of (forcibly) displaced people in late 19th century America, and shares its cultural wisdom very generously, featuring the work of more than thirty indigenous creators.
The game begins by allowing you to choose from four clans, including the Bizhiw-Lynx (protector/fighter) and Ajijaak-Crane (spiritual-communicator). You’re warned that survival depends on mental, emotional, physical and spiritual well-being. I certainly joined my ancestors, with well-being depleted, from…
