Sacred Sites in Cyber Space: Bridging Indigenous Connections to Place

This thesis explores the connection between physical place and identity in Indigenous cultures across Turtle Island (North America), with a focus on how this connection can be preserved in virtual worlds. Indigenous sacred sites hold deep cultural and spiritual significance but have been affected by historical separations enforced by colonial powers. To help mitigate some of these harms, emerging digital platforms and virtual worlds offer a unique avenue for cultural expression and reconnection to land. By studying the experiences within two Indigenous-owned platforms, Our Worlds and AbTeC Island, this research investigates how these platforms construct and reimagine sacred sites digitally. Analysing the interaction between users and platform elements, the study uncovers the opportunities and hurdles they present for cultural preservation. This exploration also extends to the potential role of these virtual sites as proxies for reclaiming colonised lands in instances where their...Show moreThis thesis explores the connection between physical place and identity in Indigenous cultures across Turtle Island (North America), with a focus on how this connection can be preserved in virtual worlds. Indigenous sacred sites hold deep cultural and spiritual significance but have been affected by historical separations enforced by colonial powers. To help mitigate some of these harms, emerging digital platforms and virtual worlds offer a unique avenue for cultural expression and reconnection to land. By studying the experiences within two Indigenous-owned platforms, Our Worlds and AbTeC Island, this research investigates how these platforms construct and reimagine sacred sites digitally. Analysing the interaction between users and platform elements, the study uncovers the opportunities and hurdles they present for cultural preservation. This exploration also extends to the potential role of these virtual sites as proxies for reclaiming colonised lands in instances where their physical return is unfeasible. In this pursuit, the research engages with the primary research question: “How do Indigenous communities in the North American continent utilise virtual reality worlds to recreate sacred sites and challenge notions of land ownership?”. In addition, to address the scholarly tensions that exist around the benefits and detriments of technology use for marginalised communities, the study also probes a secondary query: “How may virtual worlds benefit Indigenous communities in the North American continent despite the neoliberalist infrastructure of these technologies?”. Through this investigation, the study contributes to a broader understanding of the intersection between Indigenous cultural connections to place, emergent digital media, and geopolitical dynamics in two North American nation states that share the same Indigenous lands, underscoring the potential for virtual spaces to reshape the narrative of cultural preservation and land reclamation.Show less

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Sacred Sites in Cyber Space: Bridging Indigenous Connections to Place