To the indigenous game developers, authors, and scholars whose work inspires me, who have shared their time and knowledge, who encourage me and keep me accountable. In particular, to Meagan Byrne, Tara Miller, Renee Nejo, Elizabeth LaPensée, Allen Turner, and Ashlee Bird: to you, the greatest of thanks.
To the tech-savvy friends and everyone who worked to make this site a reality, whether by explaining automation to me again or proofreading the HTML. Carina Corbin, Andrew Smith, Sheila Chukwulozie, Frank Tavares, Christin Washington: I couldn’t have done it without you.
To everyone who played Never Alone with me. Lauren Tuiskula, Lehua Matsumoto, Irisdelia Garcia, Rakin Muhtadi, Ally LaForge, and Lillie Brooks: thank you for playing with me!
To those who worked so hard alongside me on their own theses and still found time for friendship. Katerina von Campe, Sharline Dominguez, Takudzwa Tapfuma, Connolly Bottum, and many more: thanks for keeping me company so many late nights.
To those who showed me love, brought me food, gave me hugs, and generally kept me afloat. Jay Fields, Dakota Meredith, and of course, Josephine Carroll: thank you for everything.
To my family, for making me, and for teaching me how to think.
To Marisa Parham – thank you for making this whole project possible, and for teaching me to strive for perfection without making things harder than they need to be.
To Kiara Vigil – thank you for keeping me grounded, for having faith in me, and for all you have taught me in just a short semester. I am so glad that I began and ended my college career with you.
To Lisa Brooks – for welcoming me into Native Studies with such warmth, and for everything I’ve learned from you over the past four years. I am deeply grateful for your support and your faith in me, and I could not ask for a better mentor. Thank you for teaching me how to think harder.
I could not have written this thesis alone. Thank you all for going on this journey with me.