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PBS Wisconsin and Nebraska Public Media are excited to announce the launch of Powwow Bound: A Menominee Homecoming, a 3D narrative-driven adventure game sponsored by Vision Maker Media.

Powwow Bound: A Menominee Homecoming is available to play for free online at pbswisconsin.org/powwow-bound.

Led by Nebraska Public Media game producer/developer Jacob Schwitzer and PBS Wisconsin interactive media producer Angelina Shi, this immersive story is set in and around the Menominee Reservation in northeastern Wisconsin. Play as Deborah Jo (DJ), a teenage girl reconnecting with her Menominee roots during her family’s return to the reservation for the annual contest powwow.

During the annual contest powwow, the family prepares for a special dance honoring their deceased grandfather and helps their mother rejoin the dance circle along the way.

“What is spectacular about this project is that there is Menominee representation at all levels of development,” said Nicholas Schwitzer, character concept artist. “To have this project pitched by [my brother] Jacob, a Menominee first descendant, sets a new standard of active Indigenous engagement. He employed Menominee people throughout the development process but also collaborated with other tribal entities to make use of local resources like the College of Menominee Nation's Digital Media Lab to record the voices.”

The goal of the game is to authentically present the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin as it exists today and allow players to learn about the culture and traditions of the tribe through the lens of the annual contest powwow.

“Authentic representation in this game is strengthened through a people- and place-based approach,” writer Justin Eagle Gauthier said. “The team has been very intentional in how the story, characters and world are portrayed to a larger gaming public. At its core, this approach has involved many members of the Menominee community representing an array of experiences and belonging to that community.”

The game is playable on both Mac and Windows computers, but is not available on tablets or mobile devices.

The game is also available on the Wisconsin First Nations website — wisconsinfirstnations.org — along with an educator guide from PBS Wisconsin Education. The guide includes background information, state standards, guiding questions and a Menominee glossary.

Funding for Powwow Bound: A Menominee Homecoming is provided by Vision Maker Media, Steven Vedro and Beverly Gordon, the Focus Fund for Wisconsin Programs and Friends of PBS Wisconsin.

PBS Wisconsin is a service of the Educational Communications Board and The Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

PBS Wisconsin is a place to grow through learning on WHA-TV, Madison; WPNE-TV, Green Bay; WHRM-TV, Wausau; WLEF-TV, Park Falls; WHLA-TV, La Crosse; and WHWC-TV, Menomonie-Eau Claire.

Nebraska Public Media has connected citizens with news, sports, education and entertainment since 1954. Providing global and compelling stories from PBS and NPR, the statewide public media network also produces award-winning local content. Its programs and services reach Nebraskans on television, radio, online, social media and mobile apps. Visit nebraskapublicmedia.org for more information.

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