News

We’re incredibly grateful to the insightful advisors, talented voice actors, and other team members who helped make Spirit of a Nation possible. See our full production credits here.

HISTORICAL ADVISORS

Aubrey Lauersdorf, PhD, is a specialist in the history of North American borderlands and the Native South in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Her current book project is titled Apalachee Coast: Indigenous Power in the Colonial Gulf South. It shows how the Apalachees, an Indigenous polity in the modern-day Florida panhandle, leveraged their relationships with the Spanish and their Indigenous neighbors to become the major power in the Gulf South between 1527 and 1685. Dr. Lauersdorf is an Assistant Professor of History at Florida State University. She received her M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Tanya M. Peres, PhD, RPA, is Professor of Anthropology at Florida State University and a Registered Professional Archaeologist with two decades of field and lab experience. She uses the lens of zooarchaeology (the study of animal remains from archaeological sites) and the integration of artifactual, contextual, and ethnographic and ethnohistoric datasets to tackle questions pertaining to ancient and colonial migrations, economies, social hierarchies, foodways, symbolism, and other related phenomena in the Americas. She is co-director of the FSU Apalachee-Spanish Mission Archaeology Project and has excavated parts of Mission San Luis. Her publications include “Foodways Archaeology: A Decade of Research from the Southeastern United States,” Journal of Archaeological Research (2017). She has been on the Faculty at Florida State University since 2015, serving as Graduate Program Director 2017-2022 and Department Chair 2022-2024.

Other historical advisors:

• Rachel Briggs, PhD, Teaching Assistant Professor of Anthropology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
• Rochelle Marrinan, PhD, Associate Professor of Anthropology, Florida State University
• Andrés Reséndez, PhD, Professor of History, University of California at Davis
• Mariana Zinni, PhD, Professor of Spanish, Queens College/City University of New York

APALACHEE ADVISORS & PARTNERS

Charissa Zenobia Bennett-Inabnet is a member of the Talimali Band, the Apalachee Indians of Louisiana, and currently serves as Second Chief. Her grandfather was Chief Gilmer Bennett, of the Apalachee Indian Nation. Ms. Bennett-Inabnet is an educator who has taught second grade for 17 years in Louisiana, where many Apalachees now reside. She acknowledges the support of other members who helped to collect research, documents, photographs and history during the course of her work on the game: Chief Arthur Bennett, Councilman Gilmer T. Bennett, Councilman Little John Bennett, Community Chief Alex Torres Tall, Councilwoman Regina Vercher LaCour, Councilman Alex Torres Tall III, and Community Chief Evelyn Shirley.

Chief Troy Kerry, Co-Chief Lee Martsching, Secretary Lenore Troquille, and Council Members Reagan Rousell and Serena Simonsen are members of the Tribe Council of the Apalachee Indians of the Talimali Band. 

London Vallery is a Louisiana Creole astrobiological researcher and filmmaker with a focus on integrating indigenous knowledge systems into the study of space exploration.Her short film “Dan Bon Lalinn” details the use of Indigenous astronomical traditions in Louisiana and the generational loss of this knowledge. She holds degrees from Harvard and Cambridge. 

VOICEOVER CAST

J.L. Acevedo (Father Diego) is a multiple award-winning actor with over 3 decades of experience in Theatre, Film, TV and Radio. Some of his credits include among others: His one man show “Experiencias Clásicas” at Clásicos en Alcalá de Henares in Spain. His most recent U.S. performances were at ASOLO Rep as Santiago in Anna in the Tropics by Nilo Cruz, New York Classical Theatre in Shakespeare’s Henry IV, Cincinnati Playhouse in the 2020 Regional Tour of Destiny Of Desire by Karen Zacarias. Other credits include in Theatre: Native Gardens, House on the Lagoon, The Mayor of Zalamea, Fuenteovejuna, Los Entremeses, Tierra del fuego, Verano Verano, The Knight of Olmedo, Security, Preying on Instinct, Woyzeck, King Lear etc. Film: Kiss of The Damned, 79 Parts, Fake. TV: Billions, Blacklist, Law & Order SVU and Criminal Intent. For more info follow him on Instagram at jla_irrefutable.

Luis Bermudez (Esteban, sailor) is a second generation Latine Actor, and proud son of Cuban immigrants. He has appeared in over 100 cartoons and video games, such as Invincible Fight Girl as Mbrandon, Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail as Koana, Jurassic Park: Chaos Theory as Bobby Nublar, Bane in DC Dark Legion, and countless other projects like The Simpsons, Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty, Grimsburg, and Call of Duty: Black Ops 6.

Thomas Berryhill (Bip): Hesci (Hello), my name is Thomas Lee Berryhill Jr., but I go by TJ. I am Mvskoke (Creek), Seminole, and Cherokee, born in Oklahoma and raised in Kansas. I hold an A.S. from the College of the Muscogee Nation and a B.S. in Business Administration. Currently, I work as the recruiter for the College of the Muscogee Nation. While I’ve always had a passion for the film industry, in recent years, I’ve worked as background talent in movies and television, including Fancy Dance and Twisters. These experiences have inspired me to pursue principal roles and expand into screenwriting. Beyond acting, my goal is to help elevate Native voices in the industry, supporting other Native storytellers and creating authentic narratives that empower our communities. Through both writing and acting, I aim to ensure Indigenous perspectives are seen and heard in a meaningful way.

Dylan Carusona: Lunyūnte Ta Ha Wīse (Cuy/Kamasa) is an enrolled member of the Oneida Nation, of White Earth Ojibwa decent, as well as Italian & Irish American. He’s grateful to be a part of such a progressive & revolutionary form of education. Dylan grew up with video games in the 80’s & 90’s. “Choose your own adventure” books became popular too, partly because you could read the same book & get a different outcome every time. These kind of books can be read 100’s of times by the same person without the same plot. PBS has always been informative & educational & brings true stories to life in their programming. This informative video game is about sharing culture & making it fun & interactive for the user. The internet, documentaries & TV programing still can be great tools of education. PBS has always nurtured & saw the potential & obligations to inform, educate & share everyday local life & people with its audience. Dylan’s honored to be a part of the Mission US video game family. Dylan is a classically trained actor, holds a BFA in acting & is a graduate of Idyllwild Arts Academy. Hono den tenu (Our Minds are One).

Briana Gonzalez (Alap / Chinacosa) is an Indigenous Mexican actor based in Chicago. With experience in film and theater, Gonzalez debuted with her lead role in The Sundance supported film, The Original Shareholder Experience, that traveled the festival circuit across the US and Canada.  With the lead role in the college production “CASINA” and as Jesus in the short film, “The Last Supper,” Gonzalez has made it her mission to expand Native and Mexican representation — honoring her ancestral roots. With her love for performance and her recent venture into voice acting, Gonzalez hopes to bring new life and nuance through characters and future projects.

Lulu Goodfox (Nicki Seward) is a 16-year-old honor roll student from both the Osage and Pawnee Nations. Lulu was given the Osage name of E Nah Doe Pe meaning Looking at the Eagle and had the honor of serving as the Osage Nation Princess from 2023-2024. Lulu is an aspiring actress having booked a co-star role on Rutherford Falls as Young Reagan and was cast in the Broadway play, The Thanksgiving Play, to portray No More Mascots via mini-film which ran from March to June 2023 in New York City. Lulu was most recently accepted into the Oklahoma Summer Arts Institute at Quartz Mountain in the acting discipline for the summer of 2024, a prestigious arts education program.

Joshua Orsi (Asta) is excited to be working with Mission US. He is a Native artist based out of Jersey City. He recently moved to the area and hopes to build a new community in his new home. He wants to thank his partner and cute fluffy boys for all their support. If you need any good cat pics hit him up.

Erik Ransom (Professor Alvarez / Spanish Friar) – From an early age Erik was mentored in Voice, Speech, Accents and Dialects by Jim DeMonic, former Head of Voice & Speech at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. After receiving his B.A. in Vocal Performance from T.C.N.J., Erik went on to perform in countless plays, musicals and operas, before diving into on-camera acting and voiceover work. Currently, Erik can be seen playing opposite Orange is the New Black’s Taryn Manning and Disney’s Encanto’s Diane Guerrero as one of the stars of Happy Yummy Chicken (PeacockTV) and recurring as François on the Emmy-nominated series Tainted Dreams (Amazon Prime). He narrates and portrays multiple supporting roles in the musical adventure audio series The World to Come, featuring Adrienne Barbeau (A 2021 Webby Award honoree). In the hit PC strategy game Terra Invicta, Erik voices the role of Project Exodus’ Director Khalid Al’Ashgar and Vox Reaper in the forthcoming “Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves” from SNK Studios. Check out www.erikransom.com for more!

Samibah Straits (Isfane) is a 14-year-old freshman at the Native American Community Academy in Albuquerque. Born in Peru, she proudly embraces her heritage as a blend of Quechua from her mother’s side and Navajo from her father’s side. Samibah has been acting for three years, with her first role in the short film Silt. She has also appeared in the Woodwalkers trilogy, having recently celebrated the premiere of the first film and completed filming for the second. Next summer, she will be filming the third and final movie in the series. In addition to her film pursuits, Samibah is a participant in The Tribal Youth Justice Fellowship Program. Her passions extend beyond acting; she enjoys horseback riding, archery, martial arts, and spending time with her animals. With dreams of becoming a veterinarian, Samibah is dedicated to her studies and her artistic endeavors.

Kaili Turner (Dr. Duval) is a Black, Indigenous (enrolled member of Nipmuc Nation) comedian, actress, writer, producer, puppeteer and single mother to two boys. Raised between Boston and Mashpee, MA (Indian Country). She’s a lover of fried chicken and fry bread. Her motto, “a spoonful of laughter helps the message go down” which blends comedy and edutainment. Turner has performed at Lincoln Center, as part of the Lucille Lortell nominated cast NYC, Woolly Mammoth (DC), RedCat (LA), The Walker (MN), Penobscot Theatre (Maine) The Strand (Boston), , Currently, Kaili is currently producing Sheen the Musical, a hilarious new musical with her collaborators, as well as working on her pilots Squannit and Fk’d Up & Fabulous, and you can see her puppet Onika live on IG (@iamqueenonika). To continue to stay connected and see what’s new with her you can go to www.KailiYTurner.com

Daniel Warrior (Timucuan Trader) Daniel Warrior is a Native American voice-over artist, actor, and storyteller with a commanding presence and a rich, resonant voice. A proud member of the Mvskoke (Creek), Absentee-Shawnee, and Rosebud Sioux tribes, Dan has worked on such major productions as Killers of the Flower Moon, Yellowstone, and Tulsa King. He has also lent his voice to National Geographic, showcasing his ability to capture the depth and spirit of Indigenous narratives. At 6’10”, Dan’s powerful presence extends beyond the screen and microphone. He is an advocate for Native representation in media, as well as a motivational speaker and a storyteller committed to sharing the beauty and resilience of Indigenous culture. His experience as a radio DJ and his natural ability to connect with audiences make him an ideal voice for projects seeking authenticity and depth. Dan is currently based in Oklahoma, where he continues to pursue his mission of uplifting Native voices in entertainment.

CURRICULUM DEVELOPERS

Lori Lachowski is a member of the Turtle Clan from the Tuscarora Nation. She works as a teacher at Niagara Wheatfield Senior High School in Western New York. Her curriculum focuses on teaching Haudenosaunee History, Tuscarora History, and contemporary issues facing Indigenous communities today throughout Turtle Island and across our globe. 

Daniel Sigward is an independent educational consultant with expertise in developing curriculum for middle and high school social studies classrooms. He specializes in creating curricula that explore the individual and collective choices people made in pivotal moments of history and our contemporary civic life. A former middle school social studies teacher, Dan worked at Facing History & Ourselves for more than ten years, where he researched, wrote, and edited classroom resources about the Holocaust, the Reconstruction Era in U.S. history, and a variety of other topics. As a consultant, Dan has developed curriculum for organizations—including Facing History, Mission US, StoryCorps, Literacy Design Collaborative, the Fred T. Korematsu Institute, and others—dedicated to helping young people develop the historical understanding and civic skills and dispositions they need to promote and sustain democracy.

PRODUCTION TEAM

WNET is one of the foremost providers of national programming for public media, including Great Performances, Nature, American Masters, Amanpour & Company, and history and children’s media projects. Its many NEH-funded productions includes Jazz Ambassadors, Shakespeare Uncovered, American Masters biographies, and the Peabody Award-winning The African Americans: Many Rivers to Cross. WNET’s award-winning, multi-platform productions for children and families include Freedom: A History of US; Oh Noah!. and Cyberchase. WNET is also the chief public television broadcaster in the New York region and creator of the digital/broadcast channel ALL ARTS. It is a leader in community engagement, educational outreach, and digital media that extend public media’s reach and impact.  

American Social History Project is a research center based at The Graduate Center, CUNY. Recipient of fourteen NEH grants, it has done pioneering work in the production and use of print, film, video, and digital media to enhance the teaching of history. These include Who Built America? (textbooks, documentaries and CD-ROMs) and the websites History Matters: The U.S. Survey on the Web, The Lost Museum: Exploring Antebellum American Life and Culture, and Picturing U.S. History. ASHP also leads programs that help teachers use the latest scholarship, technology, and learning methods. 

Electric Funstuff applies the principles of game design to products with educational outcomes. EFS works with experts to translate research and best practices into engaging interactions – finding the sweet spot that balances the needs of gameplay with learning objectives. Clients include Scholastic, The Grow Network (McGraw-Hill), Sony Online Entertainment, Nick Jr., Sesame Workshop, The Princeton Review, and Fisher-Price. 

William Tally (evaluator) is senior research scientist at Education Development Center, Inc. and a leading researcher on digital media and history teaching and learning. Among many credits, he evaluated nine DOE Teaching American History projects, helped create and evaluate the Library of Congress program Teaching with Primary Sources program, and conducted all formative and summative evaluations on previous Mission US games. Tally conducted formative evaluation at key stages to inform development of the game.