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A sign featuring the Squamish Nation’s language is on display in a new Wolverine video game that’s expected to draw millions of players globally.
The game, Marvel’s Wolverine, will be released on Sept. 15 on PlayStation 5 and shows off several slices of B.C., including North Vancouver, the Lions Gate Bridge and the Sea-to-Sky Highway.
At one point, while the main character Logan (aka Wolverine) is driving a motorcycle along the highway, the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh sníchim (Squamish language) is displayed on two signs, spelling out the words for Whistler — Sk̲wik̲w — and Squamish — Sḵwx̱wú7mesh.
“It’s something that I felt we absolutely had to do,” said senior art director Gavin Goulden, who’s based in Vancouver. “I worked with the team to get like the proper signage for it.”
He said it was also critical to have real parts of Canada represented in the game, since Wolverine’s character was born in Alberta.
“Wolverine is a Canadian hero, arguably the most famous Canadian superhero that there is,” Goulden said.
It’s rare for British Columbia to be displayed in video games, and having the Squamish Nation’s language included is being considered a big win, according to gaming experts.
Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation) chairperson Sxwíxwtn (Wilson Williams) said having Wolverine ride through their territory and past the highway sign proudly displaying their language is “more than just a cameo.”
“It’s a moment of visibility and proof that our language and our presence on this land are not something of the past, but something living, spoken and seen today,” Sxwíxwtn said.
“We are proud that in a game about a Canadian hero, it’s our language on the sign that welcomes him home.”
‘This is where we live’
Cary Brisebois has been making video games for more than 25 years.
He’s also on the game development advisory board at Vancouver Film School and said its great to see the subtle nod of Indigenous inclusion in the game.
“I love that they didn’t shy away from it, but I love that it’s also not really tokenized,” Brisebois said. “It’s saying, ‘Hey, look, this is where we live. This is the land that we’re on, and we’re not afraid to show it.'”
Simon Fraser University assistant professor Sarah Christina Ganzon, who specializes in game studies and digital fandom, said it’s refreshing to see Canada featured in a game.
“It’s wonderful to see it; the fact that Logan is Canadian, you don’t really see him in Canada,” she said.
Representation in pop culture
Aliki Marinakis, an Indigenous language programs manager at the University of Victoria, said the sign is “definitely a win.”
While not Indigenous herself, she’s raising two Indigenous children who are trying to learn their language.
“We have 35 different Indigenous languages in B.C. alone, and I mean, how many Canadians could name one or two?” she said.
Her 16-year-old son dressed up as Wolverine a couple of years ago for Halloween and she knows he’ll be excited to see Sḵwx̱wú7mesh sníchim in the game.
“Indigenous kids need to see themselves being represented in pop culture just the way they need to see themselves being represented in education and in health,” Marinakis said.
The Sea-to-Sky region is a hot spot for filming, according to Nikki Johnston with Tourism Squamish.
“A lot of films and TV shows tend to come to Squamish because of the beautiful natural landscape,” Johnston said. “We’re seeing that same effect here with the cinematic action game.”
Previous Marvel games like Spider-Man have been played by millions of people globally, according to an account manager with PlayStation.
“A cinematic action game like Wolverine might increase destination exposure for Squamish, but at this point, I think it’s a little too soon to see,” Johnston said.
