Firaxis, after botching the Cree in Civ 6, formed a partnership with Shawnees to ensure an 'authentic and sincere' representation of the Shawnees in Civilization 7.

Firaxis announced in 2018 that the Cree Nation would be added to Civilization 6. This move did not sit well the leader of the Poundmaker Cree Nation who claimed that the game's portrayal Indigenous people was "very harmful." To avoid a similar misstep in its next game, Firaxis established a partnership between the Shawnee Nation and the studio to ensure an accurate portrayal of Tecumseh.

According to a recent AP report (via Game Developer), Firaxis was warned by academics against adding Tecumseh into Civ 7. Andrew Johnson, a Civ 6 writer/historian, recommended that the studio instead reach out to the Shawnee tribal members directly. Shawnee chief Ben Barnes, a fan of Sid Meier’s Alpha Centauri and a proponent of the proposal, was thrilled to hear about it.

Barnes said, "For us it's about a cultural expression that demonstrates cultural hegemony." "Why not us?" Why not? We should be in videogame titles. We should be reflected in all media. We took the opportunity to shine our star."

Andrew Frederiksen, the producer, said that the result of the collaboration was a "month-long effort to ensure it's a sincere, authentic recreation" of Shawnee Culture within the game. This included not only the tribe's history, but also how a Shawnee Library or University might look in the future and how its language could evolve. Barnes said that Firaxis asked questions about language they would never have thought of asking.

Civilization games are primarily about conquering the globe. They've traditionally played fast and loose when it comes to leaders. These leaders have special abilities that are in line with their personas, but are otherwise unconstrained. The most famous of these is probably Gandhi because he has a tendency to nuke the bejeezus from everything that moves. The original Civ was released more than 30 years ago, and with it came a new understanding of cultural appropriation.

Firaxis smashed into this when it added the Cree language to Civ 6. Milton Tootoosis, the head of the Headman Milton Tootoosis at the time, said that it perpetuated the myth that First Nations shared the same values as colonial culture. This is a culture that focuses on conquering other peoples to gain access to their land. "That is not in line with our worldview and traditional ways.

"It is a little risky for a company that perpetuates an ideology that is at variance with what we know." [Poundmaker] wasn't in the same frame as colonial powers."

"We never imagined people would take it so seriously," Sid Meier, the series creator, told AP. "We always felt like, 'Here is a way you can change the history.' We can make Stalin good. "But that might have been pushing things a bit too far."

Firaxis and 2K Games, as part of their deal with the Shawnee Nation are donating “hundreds and thousands of dollars” to programs and facilities that aim to preserve and revitalize the Shawnee Language, which is in danger of extinction. Tecumseh, voiced by Shawnee actress Dillon Dean, will also speak this language in Civilization 7. Barnes hopes this will spark a renewed interest in the Shawnee language: "What i do know is that if we continue to make the efforts that we are making today, Shawnee will be spoken in 2500."