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The Mass Effect of Manifest Destiny

RHIANNA BENNETT

JANUARY 7, 2022

THE SOCIETY FOR HISTORICAL ARCHAEOLOGY CONFERENCE, PHILADELPHIA, PA 2022

Hello my name is Rhianna Bennett and I am here today to discuss how the concept of Manifest Destiny and settler colonialism is continued today through discussions of interstellar travel, and even further perpetuated in todays popular culture. I will particularly look at the video game franchise, Mass Effect. This presentation is for a general public with interest in colonialism in the current day, archaeologists interested in popular culture, and gamers interested in understanding how colonialism and supremacist ideology is curtailed across the American system.

I first want to point you to the introduction slide that shows a portion of a, 1872 painting by John Gast titled “American Progress.” This painting is often used to illustrate the concept of Manifest Destiny. In the center is a personification of the new United States (Columbia) as she guides white settlers who bring wagons, communication wires, and guns, towards the indigenous groups that look to be running for safety. Manifest Destiny is a belief that expansion of a certain group is “inevitable” and “destined by God” to settle the American West.

This evocation of romantic nationalism erased the experiences of those that came before Europeans, who had already been decimated and forcibly removed from eastern homelands, and now even further.

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Manifest Destiny and colonialist ideologies

Most often associated with American Expansion during the 19^th century.

The mission of the United States to ‘redeem and remake the west in the image of the agrarian East.’
An irresistible destiny to accomplish this essential duty (Weeks 1996).

Colonialism and Exceptionalism

Christopher Columbus
Lewis and Clark Expedition

Colonialist ideologies are most often tied to that of the westward expansion of the 19^th century. Even prior to that, the concept of destined expansion can be seen in European colonialization of the Americas. In terms of this presentation, it is also important to compare the concept of ‘new world’ colonization with potential new planet or even galaxy expansion. Do humans romanticize the idea of inhabiting other planets? Is it our destiny?

To the general public, most recognize Christopher Columbus – until recently, general public knowledge saw Columbus (and were taught in public education systems) as the original explorer and even founder of the Americas. It is not until recently that the public seems to have become aware and acknowledge that his actions and work was abhorrent – and the obvious countenance that thousands of people had discovered American prior to his landfall.

“But these hero narratives erase complex histories and conspire to convince us that the future can be simple. They colonize the future by colonizing our stories about the past. We need to move away from hero narratives. Instead, we must recognize that the stories of our past—and future—are complex and subjective.” --- space travel and video games do this too (Elkins Tanton and Schingler 2019 https://slate.com/technology/2019/07/space-settlement-decolonizing-forum.html)

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‍“In reaffirming our heritage as a free nation, we must always remember that America has always been a frontier nation. Now, we must embrace the next frontier. America’s Manifest Destiny in the stars…The American nation was carved out of the vast frontier by the toughest, strongest, fiercest and most determined men and women ever to walk on the face of the Earth…��Our ancestors braved the unknown, tamed the wilderness, settled the Wild West…This is our glorious and magnificent inheritance. We are Americans. We are pioneers. We are the pathfinders. We settled the New World. We built the modern world.”��Donald J. Trump, 2020 State of the Union address

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the final frontier.

Space,

We’ve explored that the American west was seen as a new frontier given to white settlers by God. I’ve also explored how that same mind-set surrounding Manifest Destiny is still present in todays political discussions surrounding space travel. With the prevalence of this colonialist perspective, how is it reflected in popular media? Especially media involving traveling to new worlds or galaxies.

The phrase on this slide - “Space, the final frontier” is a popular phrase from the show Star Trek. Growing up it was a somewhat innocuous phrase, but now if we break it down, it seems as if space travel and exploration is idealized as the next frontier settlement, harkening back to Manifest Destiny ideology.

“Many use European colonization as what we should steer away from in future space travel. But some do not believe that these ideas are still present, and that is where popular culture is helpful to express. Popular culture can symbolize a paradigm and mirror of cultural ideas.”��- Tiago Sant’Ana

How is this perception of colonialism depicted in greater popular culture? I will use a video game series, Mass Effect, to explore the underlying – and sometimes extremely explicit forms of colonialism depicted in popular culture.

Need slide connecting and introducing video games and discussing colonization and space travel

Pop culture representing cultural conscious or unconscious

In this example, I will use the video game mass effect to present how colonialism and space travel can be imbedded in today’s society.”

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Case Study: Mass Effect Series

Mass Effect 1�2007

Mass Effect 2�2010

Mass Effect 3�2012

Mass Effect: Andromeda�2017

Expected 2024

Mass Effect 5

The Mass Effect series places the player well into the humans of Earth being part of an inter-galactic world, hundreds of years following first contact.

Humans are colonizing Earth-like planets and mining those that are not. There are often evidence of past civilizations on the landscape.

When colonists are referred to, they tend to be identified as resource colonists, established on empty planets to mine for resources [2].

The numerous side quests to search for these resources, particularly in Mass Effect 2, by Shepard's spaceship the Normandy and its team, are accompanied by brief notes on many planets displayed on screen, and it is noticeable that almost all these planets are empty or were empty before humans arrived.

While the original trilogy does not seems to delve into aspects of settler colonialism, there are still clear aspects of exceptionalism and romantic nationalism – but formed into a human nationalism.

a bulk of the storyline is devoted to studying the disappearance of an ancient civilization, making archaeology a crucial part in the series’ storytelling. In the original trilogy, the archaeological knowledge is used to assist in understanding how to defeat an intergalactic threat. In Mass Effect Andromeda however, it uses archaeological and historical knowledge and artifacts as important tools for domination. A dangerous precedent.

Over the next couple of slides I will show and outline some teasers and a trailor for andromeda to display how the game was advertised to gamers. I want you to pay attention to the feelings they are trying to evoke.

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Mass Effect: Andromeda

Begins “alongside” the original trilogy (specifically between ME: 2 and 3), but majority of game takes place 600+ of years following ME3 events.
Andromeda Initiative – visionary plan by eccentric billionaire to colonize a new galaxy (sound familiar?)
Your role is Pathfinder

Real World: a specialized soldier placed in areas to set up and operate drop zones, pickup zones, and more. Pathfinders first appeared in World War II, where they served with distinction, and continue to serve an important role in today's modern armed forces.
Andromeda: Be the first contact for new world interactions, establish outposts.

Issue: In the 600-year journey to Andromeda, the ‘empty’ planets they hoped to occupy are colonized…

All other species vessels are also missing. Humans are “alone” in their mission.

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First Contact Protocols

“WE’RE THE ALIENS HERE”

OBSERVE CROSS-CULTURAL EFFORTS

Andromeda does have some awareness and attempts at what they term first contact protocols, and players can choose to create science outposts built around learning more about the indigenous species on each planet. In some scenes, characters acknowledge that they are the outside invaders, and the aliens but still fall into some tropes. In the games you interact with a sentient species called the Angara, and aid them against the enemy called the Kett. Unfortunately, the narrative basically places you in a role as “good colonizer” vs. “bad colonizers”

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“But as they arrive out of dark space, they discover that not only are the planets extremely dangerous, and not only are some planets inhabited, but that there is a desperate war going on between another colonizing, genocidal force and the indigenous Angara. This seems to be a tool the game developers use to temper an otherwise straightforward narrative that would paint the Milky Way colonists as the "bad guys.“” (La Fleche 2017)

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Archaeology and Colonialism

Ancient species, Remnants

The City of Meridian
Who gets control of the planet?

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“I’m the xeno-anthropologist. A fancy word for talking to the Angara about those ruins – and listening.”

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Colonizing a new galaxy

“THEY WERE PATHFINDERS TOO”

“WE ONLY GET ONE CHANCE TO BE FIRST”

NOT THE FIRST

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Decolonizing Space Travel

“Why, despite availability of knowledge on the detrimental effects of colonial images on the previously colonized, game creators and consumers continue to perceive empire as a light-hearted theme appropriate for recreation and entertainment" (Harrer, 2018, p. 2).

Add more depth to binary conflicts when it deals with sentient peoples and landscapes.

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Consider the CONTEXT�in Game Development

COLONIALISM

Occupation and exploitation.

REVISIONISM

Re-modification of events.
“Aliens built the pyramids.”

EXCEPTIONALISM

Ethnicity and race.
Species?

ETHNOCENTRISM

No culture is superior to another.

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How can game developers avoid them?

Talk to SPECIALISTS.

How would an anthropologist introduce themselves?
How would an archaeologist handle identifying cultural heritage?
What would be their key goals during first contact initiatives?

Implement USER RESEARCH to impact Narrative Design.

Focus on surveying inclusive and diverse participants.
Generative research prior to and during the game development process.

Do your RESEARCH (or return to #1).

Examples from history.
Previous studies.

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Thank You

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