Live at the Beaver Lodge...

I was offered my first official teaching position today.

Pukatawagan, Manitoba. Home of Sydney Castel.

This is a Cree Nation Reserve about 900 kilometres North of Winnipeg. In the 1950's there was a major diesel spill and in 1987 they realized that the ongoing health problems were a result of this accident.

The children were shipped to neighbouring communities because the school grounds were highly contaminated and a child's education cannot be sacrificed. This lead to a spike in the suicide rate amongst the youth and gangs became a problem, "recruiting and preying" on these lost souls. I'm not sure if this happened in the Puk or at the other towns but either way I don't wanna mess with no Indian gangs. No sirree.

And on top of that, this town is very isolated. More isolated than Arnold when the Governors talk politics. There's no road access until the lakes and rivers freeze over but there is just one problem. These ice roads haven't been freezing over because of all the global warming the Indians have caused to their land.

Despite this` there is one awesome thing about Pukatawagan and that's Sydney Castel and his hit the "Pukatawagan Song." If you haven't heard it you probably won't find it. A girl I work with burned it on a cd for me. She's from Manitoba and told me not to go the to Puk.

The song is obviously funny but in a very odd way. I can't really explain how unique it is. The music is pretty bad, just a cliche acoustic guitar strum with cheap MIDI backing. But the vocals... Oh the vocals how they are so special. Out of key and lacking rhythm, he manages to create a very catchy poorly phrased masterpiece that touches the heart.

Well, touches the heart on the funny bone at least.

If I don't find his album as a pirate I may actually purchase it. It'd be worth every penny. "Live at the Beaver Lodge." What a title. They also have some good novelty t-shirts going around Manitoba. A nurse told me about one shirt that said "Pukatawagn University: Puk You!"

Guess what? I want one of those too...