“We’d encourage others to do the same.”
Despite making a game about a horrible goose, Australian developer House House yesterday announced it’s doing something rather nice – as it’s pledged to donate some of its future profits to indigenous groups.
As part of the Pay The Rent movement (a grassroots reparations initiative to support First Nations people in Australia), from now on House House will donate at least one per cent of its income to indigenous groups. “Our video games are made on stolen Wurudjeri land,” House House explained on Twitter. “As a start, we’re giving to the Wurundjeri Tribe Council, Warriors of Aboriginal Resistance, and Seed Mob.
“If you’re a settler living and working on Aboriginal land, like we are, please consider paying the rent.”
Our videogames are made on stolen Wurundjeri land. We at House House will be paying at least 1% of our income to Indigenous groups, in perpetuity, as part of the Pay the Rent movement. We’d encourage others to do the same:https://t.co/lMTNdOvTsS
— House House (@house_house_) January 29, 2020
Indigenous Australians have historically been treated as second-class citizens since colonists arrived in 1788, and were subject to horrific government policies such as forced child removal programs as late as the 1970s (known as the Stolen Generations). Today they still experience high suicide rates, high mortality rates, overrepresentation in the criminal justice system, and no recognition in the Australian Constitution (via IWGIA and AHRC). The idea behind Pay The Rent is for non-indigenous people to give back for all the time spent living on Aboriginal land – and it’s wonderful to see House House set a good example by joining this.
