Research[Cre]Action

Hawk and Puma is a critically acclaimed minimalist game that pays tribute to Guaman Poma, the indigenous chronicler of the Andes. Through a research-creation process, this game reimagines Guaman's journey, exploring themes of racism, sovereignty, and religion from decolonial aesthetics and Andean-inspired music.

Research-Creation Overview

Waman Poma (Felipe Guaman Poma de Ayala), an indigenous chronicler from the Andes, is one of the foremost exponents of indigenous literary and visual creation in America. His masterpiece, "El Primer Nueva Corónica y Buen Gobierno," is notable for denouncing the abuses committed by the Spanish against indigenous peoples in a letter to King Felipe III. But this was no ordinary letter: it spanned 1000 pages with 400 hand-drawn ink illustrations. This colossal work disappeared for centuries but was rediscovered in the early 20th century in the library of the Danish crown. It is one of the few creative and cultural expressions that remain (almost) intact from the early period of the European conquest of the Andean region.

Its content, coupled with the aura of mystery surrounding its author, has inspired me to undertake this research-creation work. Using Bitsy, an open-source engine for developing minimalist video games, and engaging with the work of intellectuals like Silvia Rivera Cusicanqui, “Halcón y Puma” aims to pay tribute to Guamán through speculative fiction. The project seeks to converge various thematic axes such as racism, sovereignty, and religion. My approach focuses on an aesthetic approximation, not seeking a realistic historical reproduction, but rather an updating of the past in the present. This will be achieved through a dialogue with decolonial aesthetic theories, seeking to materialize elements of a distant era, accessible only through works like this or creative imagination. Additionally, for this project, I have digitally processed some of the chronicler's illustrations to present them in a pixel art style, thanks to the tools developed by the Bitsy community. I have also composed a song inspired by Andean music for Guaman, attempting to emulate the sounds of a charango and a zampoña/panflute using MIDI.

In the game, players join Guaman on his journey to defend the lives and rights of the indigenous peoples of the region. Along the way, he encounters a spirit from distant lands who constantly questions his motives. This spirit is a representation of Niccolò Machiavelli, a figure who challenges Guaman from a different worldview and set of motivations. This creative exercise is particularly intriguing due to several important details discovered during the research process: 1) Guaman is writing to the King, while Machiavelli wrote to the Prince. 2) Both are figures from significant historical, political, and cultural transitions. 3) Machiavelli passed away just a couple of years before Guaman Poma's probable birth. As a result, Maqui, the spirit players will encounter, is a lost soul who arrived with some colonizers in Tahuantinsuyo.

Content Warning:

This game includes explicit depictions of violence, based on the historical chronicles of Guamán Poma. These depictions are used to highlight the abuses suffered by the indigenous peoples of the region during the colonial period. The content may be disturbing and is presented with the purpose of raising awareness about the history and struggles of these peoples. Viewer discretion is advised while playing.

Credits:

Nico Valdivia Hennig (He / They / Él), Creative Director at Niebla Games, Game Studies Researcher, Psychologist, and Educator. Nico is doing their PhD in Hispanic Studies at the University of California, Riverside, with an emphasis on Speculative Fiction. Their field of research is Game Design and Production in Latin America and in the Global South. Additionally, Nico is Co-Founder of Río Junto, a Latin American Cultural Exchange Hub.

Maureen Berho (She / Ella), CEO and Producer at Niebla Games. She previously served as a Member of the Board of Directors for VG Chile, the Chilean Trade Association of Video Game Development Companies from 2016 to 2017. Maureen is committed to fostering an inclusive and equitable video game industry, and has collaborated with various organizations to achieve this goal. She is particularly passionate about supporting women and LGBTQIA+ game developers in Chile, and since 2021 she has been working on building a network to help them succeed. Due to her work, Maureen was recognized in the worldwide list of 100 Game Changers by GamesIndustry.Biz in 2020.

Logo by Yali Manel.

Quechua Version by:

Kenia Chavez Ccahuana, born in the Sacred Valley of the Incas with a Quechua-Andean background in Cusco, Peru, she was a member of the Indigenous Collective at the University of Chile. She belongs to the ÑawpaÑan community in Cusco, Peru, and is currently collaborating with the Anumkan Space Foundation in Santiago, Chile.

Cesar Siccos Yucra, born in the Sacred Valley of the Incas in Cusco with a family background of Quechua speakers, is a trilingual tourism guide fluent in Quechua, Spanish, and Portuguese. He belongs to the ÑawpaÑan community in Cusco, Peru, and is currently pursuing his studies in English.

Jessica Siccos Yucra, born in the Sacred Valley of the Incas in Cusco with a family background of Quechua speakers, is currently completing her higher education in bilingual intercultural primary education.