A Mission of Repatriation: How Red Dead Redemption Creates A Platform To Introduce The Public To Archaeology

Summary

This is an abstract from the session entitled "(Re)Presenting the Past: Archaeological Influences on Historical Narratives in Video Games" , at the 2022 annual meeting of the Society for Historical Archaeology.

In the 2018 video game, Red Dead Redemption 2, gamers continued their ventures in the fictional late 19th Century – early 20th Century American West first created by Rockstar Games in 2010. While dealing with a fictional version of the United States, the game makes an effort to include thoughtful reflections of real American history as well as archaeology. As the outlaw Arthur Morgan players can choose how they interact with the history of this world and the other people who inhabit it. A main story mission within the game, titled Archaeology for Beginners, sends the player on a quest to help a Native American recover stolen artifacts important to his tribe. This paper will discuss how this mission can be used to teach the public about archaeology, tribal consultation, and the importance of repatriation.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• (Re)Presenting the Past: Archaeological Influences on Historical Narratives in Video Games   •
• Society for Historical Archaeology 2022

Keywords

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology