When I first posted my intentions to look at augmented reality (AR) in helping preserve Indigenous knowledge and understanding in time and place I must admit that I immediately thought of the AR game “Pokémon GO”. As I researched Pokémon GO I realized it has an interesting backstory. Pokémon GO is the brainchild of Niantic. Niantic is an offshoot of Alphabet Inc. (Google and its subsidiaries), and as such uses a derivative of Google Maps to run its AR games. I digress, Niantic is known for its AR games such as Pokémon GO, Harry Potter: Wizards Unite, and Ingress. Most importantly, Niantic’s intention with these games is to get the user out into the environment to play, just as Indigenous ways of knowing and being (and really all learning) should be experienced.
Finally, and congruent to my interest in researching Niantic for my final project, the name “Niantic” has Indigenous origins. I’m not too sure whether the people at Niantic know this, because they cite a ship called the “Niantic” on their “About” page, but it’s also the name of a vanquished Algonquin group that lived around Connecticut and Rhode Island (Niantic People, 2021). Perhaps one day Niantic will create an AR story about the Niantic peoples.
Reference
Wikipedia contributors. (2021, June 30). Niantic people. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 13:14, July 10, 2021, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Niantic_people&oldid=1031154708