OurWorlds and “Choctaw Code Talkers 1918” take South by Southwest by storm

For decades, South by Southwest (SXSW) has taken over downtown Austin, Texas, turning the state’s capital into “an essential destination for global professionals.” The annual March event features sessions, music and comedy showcases, film screenings, exhibitions, professional development, and a variety of networking opportunities.

Each year, thousands of people flock to the city to participate in the festivals. According to SXSW, 232,258 people attended SXSW festivals in 2019.

However, in 2020, like many things, the in-person party came to a halt. SXSW was one of the first major events to be canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. After two years of being virtual only, the 29th edition of SXSW was held in person from March 11-20, 2022. This year, the Choctaw Nation had a unique link to the festival’s historic return.

OurWorlds Inc., a San Diego-based tech start-up and XR experience, entered their film, “Choctaw Code Talkers 1918” into the 2022 SXSW Film Festival in the Extended Reality category. The film was one of 11 to be selected to compete in the category.
The film tells the pivotal story of the original Code Talkers, a group of 19 Choctaw soldiers from Oklahoma who fought bravely on the fields of France during WWI and used their Native language cryptographically to help turn the tides of war—even as their language was forbidden to be spoken at home.

“The Choctaw Code Talkers played a crucial role in battle victories for the United States, eventually ending World War I. It’s important to pass that information down to our children and this production will only serve to help teach other generations about the heroic efforts of these proud and brave Choctaws,” said Gary Batton, Chief of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma.

OurWorlds collaborated with the Texas Military Forces Museum in Austin, who provided historical pieces, WWI reenactors and historical experts who helped bring the project to life.

“As the official museum of the Texas National Guard and the 36th Infantry Division, we are delighted to work with OurWorlds to share this story,” said Jeffrey Wm. Hunt, Director of the museum. “OurWorlds technology can help connect students and others to this important chapter in US and Choctaw history.”

When it came to choosing the topic, Kilma Lattin (Pala Tribe), founder of OurWorlds, wanted to share a piece of Indigenous history that isn’t well known.

“Many Americans believe the original Code Talkers were Navajo from WWII. In fact, the original code talkers were Choctaw, first used in WWI,” said Lattin. “I believe this film is a significant piece of American history that needs to be retold in new ways. A win for this film means a win for Indian Country, American military history, education and Extended Reality 360.”
“Our XR360 platform provides a powerful way to convey this important story. It presents the soldiers in volumetric point clouds to give viewers a compelling sense of their physical presence that we hope conveys some of their battlefield experiences in an immersive new way,” said Catherine Eng, co-founder of OurWorlds.

The OurWorlds team worked closely with the Choctaw Nation to ensure that the film authentically and factually told the stories of the Code Talkers. The Choctaw Nation School of Language, Judy Allen, Choctaw Nation’s historic project officer and Choctaw Author Sara Elizabeth Sawyer were all involved in the project.

“Like I’ve said, no Choctaw, no story. So, obviously, we want to pay homage to the origins of the story, and we want to tell it in the most respectful way possible. It was really crucial working early on with Judy and getting her as a point person to kind of navigate us the right way and linking us with the language school,” said Lattin. “We wanted to go about it from a culturally sensitive perspective. Being from the Pala Tribe and having served on my tribal council, I’m very aware of how to work with Native people in a respectful way. We wanted to make sure we put that at the forefront of all of our decision-making.”

On March 10, OurWorlds was announced as the winner of the fast-paced live pitch event at SXSW EDU, Launch, presented by Schmidt Futures and the Walton Family Foundation.

According to Lattin, with this win, OurWorlds became the first-ever Native American-owned technology company to win an international technology conference: SXSW/SXSW EDU.

The Launch competition is an opportunity for companies seeking market exposure, investment, and strategic partnerships to showcase their innovative products. This year, six early-stage startups were selected to compete as finalists.

• Affectifi Inc. (Brooklyn, N.Y.)
• Epixego (Berkley, Calif.)
• IEP & Me (San Francisco, Calif.)
• OurWorlds, Inc. (Pala Indian Reservation, Calif.)
• Readlee (Worcester, Mass.)
• Schoolytics (Washington, DC)

There are still ways to view the film for those unable to attend SXSW. The beta version can be requested at ourworlds.io/beta/.

The team worked hard on this project and spent their time at the festival promoting their project.

According to Lattin, the team worked long hours, and their family and friends made a lot of sacrifices during the 18 months it took to complete the project. The team spent 10 days straight in Austin, promoting the film and their company to everyone who would listen, including Dallas Mavericks owner, Mark Cuban.

While they didn’t win the SXSW Film Festival’s XR competition, they made a name for themselves and etched their names in history.

DG Smalling, Choctaw artist, Choctaw Code Talkers Association board member and great-grandson of Code Talker Calvin Wilson, attended the festival on behalf of the Choctaw Nation.

According to Smalling, the Choctaw Code Talkers Association hopes to work with the OurWorlds team in the future to share this story with Choctaw tribal members and visitors.

For more information on OurWorlds, visit ourworlds.io.