BOYCOTT "Gun" The Video Game
CALL TO ACTION: WE ARE DEMANDING OF ACTIVISION INCORPORATED, (THE PUBLISHERS OF "GUN") TO EDIT AND REMOVE ALL DEROGATORY, HARMFUL AND INACCURATE DEPICTIONS OF AMERICAN INDIANS FROM THE VIDEO GAME "GUN" INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE SLAUGHTERING OF THE "RENEGADE" APACHES, THE ATROCITY OF "INDIAN SCALPING" AND THE MIS-INFORMATION OF INDIAN TRADITIONS OF "KILLING" SACRED WHITE ANIMALS. WE ALSO DEMAND THAT UPON THE RE-RELEASE OF THE EDITED VERSION OF SAID VIDEO GAME, THAT ACTIVISION DO SO IN A MANNER THAT IS RESPONSIBLE TO THE GREAT APACHE PEOPLE AND IS CULTURALLY AND HISTORICALLY ACCURATE TO THE STRUGGLE AND PLIGHT OF ALL PEOPLE OF AMERICAN INDIAN ANCESTRY.
SIGN THE BOYCOTTGUN.COM PETITION: BY SIGNING THE BOYCOTT "GUN" PETITION YOU ARE EXPRESSING YOUR WISH THAT ACTIVISION EDIT AND REMOVE ALL DEROGATORY,
HARMFUL AND INACCURATE DEPICTIONS OF AMERICAN INDIANS FROM THE VIDEO GAME "GUN" INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE SLAUGHTERING OF THE "RENEGADE" APACHES, THE ATROCITY OF "INDIAN SCALPING" AND THE MIS-INFORMATION OF
AMERICAN INDIAN TRADITIONS OF "KILLING" SACRED WHITE ANIMALS. BY SIGNING THIS PETITION, YOU ALSO EXPRESS YOUR WISH THAT UPON RE-RELEASE OF SAID VIDEO GAME, THAT ACTIVISION INCORPORATED DO SO IN A MANNER THAT IS
RESPONSIBLE TO THE GREAT APACHE PEOPLE AND IS CULTURALLY AND HISTORICALLY ACCURATE TO THE STRUGGLE AND PLIGHT OF ALL PEOPLE OF AMERICAN INDIAN ANCESTRY.
IF THE EDITING AND RE-RELEASING OF "GUN" THE VIDEO GAME IS NOT AN OPTION TO ACTIVISION INCORPORATED, I AM DEMANDING THE RECALL OF THIS DAMAGING, SOCIALLY HARMFUL AND INSENSITIVE VIDEO GAME AND FOR THE COMPLETE REMOVAL OF THIS ACTIVISION PRODUCT FROM ALL RETAIL LOCATIONS WORLDWIDE, INCLUDING THE WORLDWIDE WEB.
BOYCOTT "GUN" Information
It has come to our attention that video game publisher, Activision, has
released for Xbox 360, Xbox, Playstation , PS2 and PC, a new game set in
the American West with some very disturbing racist and genocidal elements
toward Native Americans. The game is called "Gun" and features a
frontiersman hero named Colton White. One of his earliest tasks that the
game player must complete before advancing to the next level is to
slaughter, not once, but on an ongoing basis, Apache Indians. Not only
slaughter (and this is the terminology used in the game) but to scalp
(terminology also used in the game) them as well with a "scalping knife"
that can be purchased as part of the many weapons offered to the hero of
the game, Colton White.
Yes, we understand that this game is rated "M" for mature audiences, and
yes, we understand that historically, this kind of violence occurred all
too often. No one knows this better than this organization and Indigenous
people from all tribes throughout the continents of North, Central and
South America. In fact, the repercussions of such acts of genocide are why
there is a desperate need for the Association for American Indian
Development today. What is of the greatest concern and outrage is the
outright, unabashed and implied righteousness of its genocidal nature
toward Native Americans.
To create a game where one must slaughter members of a racial group in
order to move forward promotes and condones the near genocide of Native
Americans in this country. If a game were created that had its hero
slaughter, say African Americans, Irish, Mexicans, or Jews, would there not
be an outcry of extreme proportions? We're not talking about generic
bandits or outlaws who could be any race - this is a game that specifies
the slaughter of a living, breathing existing racial group of human beings.
There is no indication of the complexities of the period, even as
interviews with it's author, talk about how he was able to delve into the
history of the period. Native people during this time were protecting
their homeland, their way of life. Something that is instilled in good old
American values.
What's next, the Civil War era game where "The Hero" must capture and lynch runaway slaves? Of course not. That would be wrong. But apparently, killing Indians is still fair game. And, even further, "The Hero" at one point, bemoans the fact that although he's killed so many Apaches, he's let so many get away?
We wonder if the authors of this script and game even took the time to
think about the fact that real, existing Apache people can be adversely
affected by this element of their "game?" This most definitely is not a
"game" to those still suffering from the repercussions of this shameful
chapter in American history. How many kids will (and although rated for
mature players, young kids will still manage to get a copy of it) play this
game and then carry what they've experienced into their interactions with
real, live Apaches and other Native Americans? Yes, Native people still
live here in America. They are not a lost or extinct people and they don't
all live secluded on reservations. And, believe it or not, Indian kids play
Xbox, too. And Activision (and scriptwriter Randall Jahnson) have just
written a game that says killing all Apaches is the right thing to do and
in the game you not only have to slaughter the Apache to advance in the
game, but you can purchase a "scalping knife" to "scalp them all!" This is
completely unacceptable and cannot be tolerated in a "civilized" society.
Let's be clear...contrary to popular belief and myth, the near genocide of
Native Americans is a shameful chapter in American history and should not
be condoned or trivialized in a game as if it were okay. Yes, the brutal
slaying of America's indigenous people is historically accurate...it
happened. But so did slavery, lynching and the Holocaust and we don't see
games glamorizing it as if it were the right thing to do.
As if to make amends, "The Hero" switches sides later in the game and
discovers a secret about his own indigenous heritage, but that does NOT
make the preceding chapters any easier to accept. In fact, in the
official guide to the game, it actually says that because "The Hero"
rescues some Apaches held captive on a train, perhaps it cancels a karmic
debt for his earlier actions. Are they serious? Obviously not. This is
typical of a flippant comment about a very real, damaging and tragic aspect
of American history, the aftermath of which is still very much in evidence
today all across North America.
Why is it that still today, Americans think it's okay to talk, let alone
spend millions of dollars to create video games about killing a bunch of
Indians so casually? This is grossly insensitive and does not in any way
acknowledge the brutality camouflaged as Manifest Destiny.
This is why the Association for American Indian Development asks you to
join us in letting the publishers of this offensive game know that this
will not be tolerated -- BOYCOTT "Gun" the video game, as well as other
games published by Activision. We also encourage you to use your American right to voice you concern to Activision by writing them at:
Activision Incorporated
3100 Ocean Park Blvd.
Santa Monica, CA 90405
(310) 255-2000
ROM: Association for American Indian Development
Boycott the Gun Video Game-Sign the Petition
Special thanks to Teresa Ana-hoo-ey for sending this on.
Contents
January 2006 Reports
Last updated on January 13, 2006
