After looking at both the Oregon Trail and “When Rivers Were Trails”, both games show America’s past from different points of view. The Oregon Trail focuses more on the pioneers of westward expansion, but often forgets about the experiences and accomplishments of Native Americans. “When Rivers Were Trails” tells a different story that shows how Native Americans were forced to move and how they kept their culture alive. When Rivers Were Trails is one of the first games to put Native opinions and experiences first, which gives players a more complete picture of the history. Going back to The Oregon Trail, the representation of Native Americans has changed since its development in 1971, but was pretty limited and stereotypical. Only depicting Native Americans as either obstacles or occasional helpers to the settlers in the game. Recent adaptations of the game that I’ve seen have made efforts to try and include more historically accurate portrayals, they still show Native American tradition through the context of the settler experience. When Rivers Were Trails is different because it focuses on the lives and stories of Native Americans. Looking at the website, more than 30 Native American writers, artists, and musicians helped make the game so that it correctly and respectfully shows Native American cultures and histories. Players take on the role of an Anishinaabe who has been forced to move because of the allotment acts and deal with various Native American groups along the way. The exchanges with these groups are made with a ton of care and attention to detail, showing the various cultures and strong heritage they have. The game is full of these genuine conversations, traditional customs, as well as giving actual historical events which makes this game super educational while being respectful. I think the main difference between these games has to do with how representation in media has evolved and became more important over time. The Oregon Trail was groundbreaking at a technological level at the time but has a pretty outdated educational value. Compared to When Rivers Were Trails, being a huge step forward in terms of inclusive storytelling and focuses on Native voices, giving players a better understanding of Native American histories.