In 2018, Firaxis announced that the Cree Nation was being added to Civilization 6, a move that did not sit well with the leader of the real-world Poundmaker Cree Nation, who said the game's portrayal of Indigenous people is "very harmful." To help avoid that kind of misstep in the next game, the studio established a partnership with the Shawnee Nation to ensure a proper and accurate portrayal of its famous leader Tecumseh.
Firaxis was warned against adding Tecumseh to Civ 7 by academics, according to a new AP report (via Game Developer), so Civ 6 writer and historian Andrew Johnson recommended the studio reach out directly to the Shawnee tribe instead. It turns out that Shawnee Chief Ben Barnes is a big fan of Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri, and he was enthusiastic about the proposition.
