A Journey into the Indigenous Metaverse

In collaboration with Nokiiwin Tribal Council and Professor Maya Chacaby from York University, UniVirtual is proud to serve as the technical service provider for Biskaabiiyaang: The Indigenous Metaverse. Our team plays a crucial role in designing and developing the visual and interactive components of this virtual world, and we are excited to share a behind-the-scenes look at our creative process here with our readers.

This blog focuses on the creation of the Biskaabiiyaang demo, which is now available for download on the Biskaabiiyaang website, here.

Collaboration with Nokiiwin Tribal Council

Our journey with the Biskaabiiyaang project has been more than just a technical collaboration—it is a long-standing partnership built on trust and shared values. Our relationship with Nokiiwin Tribal Council and Professor Chacaby extends over many years and involves continuous dialogue about how best to represent Indigenous knowledge within the metaverse.

In this community-driven project, Nokiiwin Tribal Council and other community members guide our work, determining the concepts and cultural material that will be shared. Our role is to handle the technical aspects of transforming this material into the virtual world, ensuring that it is both culturally respectful and visually immersive.

The most important part of this process has been our regular collaboration with Professor Chacaby and representatives from Nokiiwin Tribal Council. This has connected us not only with community Elders but also with students from York University and local Indigenous Youth, all of whom contribute to this evolving virtual cultural archive.

Respecting Indigenous Knowledge

Collaboration with the community is not limited to the sharing of knowledge. At the heart of our work is a profound respect for Indigenous teachings and traditions, and this respect informs every aspect of our development process. Through relationship building and intensive cultural competency training, our team at UniVirtual has learned how to approach the spiritual and cultural elements that define Biskaabiiyaang.

For example, when working with sacred Anishinaabe glyphs found on birch bark scrolls, we take special care to treat these digital assets with reverence. We’ve implemented unique protocols, such as storing the imagery in secure folders and requiring a “mood check” before accessing or working on them. Even during storyboarding sessions, the glyphs remain covered unless they are actively being worked on. This commitment ensures that we maintain cultural sensitivity throughout the development process.

From Concept to Digital Reality

The creative process behind Biskaabiiyaang involves transforming the stories and teachings shared by the Anishinaabe community into visually rich, interactive elements within the virtual world. We’ve had the honor of designing many 3D elements, from medicine wheels symbolizing Indigenous cardinal directions to traditional wigwams.

For some of these models, we were given creative freedom, with Professor Chacaby encouraging us to let our imaginations guide the design. In other cases, such as the orientation area where players begin their journey, Professor Chacaby provided detailed cultural insights.

For example, she advised us against placing campsites near certain bodies of water, which led to redesigning parts of the environment to reflect true-to-life traditions and environmental details.

Creating an Immersive and Playable Environment

The orientation area was key to setting the tone for players entering the demo. It needed to be visually engaging, easy to navigate, and spacious enough to allow for multiplayer interactions. Our team carefully spaced out objects like tents and campfires to ensure smooth movement and prevent clutter.

To test the environment, we placed non-player characters (NPCs) throughout key areas to simulate player movement and interaction. Small details, like placing rocks, logs, and local flora, were added to make the world feel authentic and lived-in, while ensuring the overall simplicity of the design for optimal game performance.

We worked within Unity to design demo assets that would later become interactive features in the full game world. For instance, creating a wigwam involves planning ahead, so that players will be able to open the flap and enter it.

Our work in Unity involves a blend of creative design and technical execution. For example, when creating demo assets that will later become interactive in the full game world, such as the wigwams, we had to plan ahead. If players may need to open a wigwam’s flap to enter, we ensure that certain elements, like the tarp, can be animated and moved independently from the main structure.

To achieve this, we modeled objects with "sub-meshes," allowing individual parts to be animated independently. This approach enhances the interactivity and dynamic feel of the environment.

In terms of aesthetics, we used a muted earth-tone palette inspired by the landscapes around Thunder Bay, helping ground the game world in reality. Lighting and shadow work was equally important in creating depth and realism, particularly in natural settings like the camp and forest.

Problem-Solving in Game Design

One of the most exciting aspects of building the Biskaabiiyaang demo has been designing Indigenous-themed assets that honor cultural significance. Our team took great care in creating in-game representations of sacred symbols, such as the Thunderbird. Replicating these culturally significant symbols in a virtual space presented unique challenges, which we approached with respect and creativity.

We also encountered technical challenges, particularly in scaling models. For example, when designing assets like local fish species, we sometimes had to adjust their scale to ensure accuracy. This often required adding more detail to textures or remodeling the objects to maintain authenticity while enhancing the user experience.

What’s Next? The Future of Biskaabiiyaang

As we conclude work on the demo, we’re excited about the future of Biskaabiiyaang. The project continues to receive support through funding and donations, and the team of innovators contributing to this cultural archive keeps expanding. This demo is only a small preview of the larger world we are building—one where traditional Indigenous stories and teachings are brought to life in an interactive metaverse.

We’re eager to continue our journey in collaboration with Nokiiwin Tribal Council, honoring the community's knowledge while creating a virtual world that is both educational and culturally respectful.

To stay updated on the latest developments, sign up for the project newsletter at www.biskaabiiyaang.com