Tansi! My name is Brian Castel and I was born in Lynn Lake, Manitoba on June 4th, 1970. I'm originally from Granville Lake, MB, where I spent my first five years of my life. I'm a thirty-one year old, Cree (ethiniw) individual. Granville Lake is located 50 miles northeast of Pukatawagan, Manitoba along the Churchill River. This community was originally called Pickerel Narrows pronounced in Cree as 'Okowmethagananee.' The population of the community is approximately forty adults and sixty children. The community is accessible by water during the summer and by winter road.My family eventually moved to Leaf Rapids, Manitoba, to be with my father that was employed at the Ruttan Mine. My father Clifford Castel passed away in 1976 from stomach cancer. I don't remember him very well, but vividly recall the time he spanked me and started laughing. My immediate family consists of three brothers and three sisters, and one beautiful mother. My eldest sister, Lisa, lives in Vancouver; she works in a retail store in a downtown mall. The second eldest sister in the genetic pool is Eileen, she is currently taking her last year with BUNTEP (Brandon University Northern Teachers Education Program) located in Lynn Lake, Manitoba. My youngest sister, Rena is living in Thompson working at the YWCA, making a living. The youngest in my family is my brother Jason, who currently works seasonally: commercial fishing fire fighting, and doing whatever gets him a buck. By the way, he is a elligible bachelor and is six foot, blue eyes and dashingly handsome. I can't forget about my brother Kelly who presently lives in San Francisco, California, U.S.A. who last I heard works for some kind of company. Lastly, there is my mother Vivian. Without her I wouldn't know how to cook bannock. She still lives in Leaf Rapids with her occasional husband, Ed. I also have other family members that include my half sister Sharon, half brothers Lloyd, and Marcel.
From 1976 to the beginning of 1989, I lived in Leaf Rapids. During the thirteen years living in Leaf Rapids I enjoyed extra-curricular activities such as volleyball, basketball, track & field, cross county skiing, and outdoor education. During those years I attended the Leaf Rapids Education Centre from Kindergarten to Grade 12. It was a funny dilemma during my kindergarten years, because at the time I didn't know how to speak English and was quite fluent in speaking Cree, and now it's vice-versa. Though, to look at the positive side, since I moved to Pukatawagan, my mother tongue has returned. For this reason I am glad that I'm now immersed with Cree instead of English. I did my last six months of grade 12 at the R. D. Parker Collegiate in Thompson, Manitoba, graduating on June 18th 1989.
A month later, in July, I found myself in Halifax, NS being yelled at by a Master Seaman, ordering all the new recruits to gather up their stuff and proceed to the entrance. There I was spending ten weeks of basic training in Cornwallis, Nova Scotia for the Canadian Armed Forces. At that time I was part of One Platoon-8946, Master Seaman Allan's crowd. From there I got based to Borden, Ontario for nine months to do my TQ 5 training. This training was designed to teach you the basics of mechanics for the trade of becoming a Vehicle Technician with EME (Electrical and Mechanical Engineers) department. In November of 1990, my first posting was at CFB Calgary, 1-Service Battalion 2-PPCLI.
I decided to get of the Forces in 1992 after I got my heart broken, and at the time I didn't give a damn. I moved up north for awhile moving to: Leaf Rapids, Granville Lake, and then to Pukatawagan. After living on unemployment insurance for a year I moved to Winnipeg, MB. In Winnipeg I attended the University of Manitoba in the Faculty of Arts, from 1993 to 1995. My university experience was short lived due to reasons out of my control. First, I got into a vehicle accident causing some difficulty with my thought process and secondly, the university staff went on strike. Not being able to sit down idly, I took a business management program (MAYETP-Manitoba Aboriginal Youth Entrepreneurship Training Program) administered through the Business Development Bank of Canada, at the Aboriginal Centre of Winnipeg. This was a pilot program to get more aboriginal people into the world of business. I continued my education by graduating from the South Winnipeg Technical College, taking 5th Class Power Engineering course in 1997. I also attended a Multimedia Computer Specialist Program at the Aboriginal Centre of Winnipeg in 1998.
In December of 1998 I moved to Nelson House, Manitoba and started working for the Nelson House Development Corporation. During these wondering years I fathered three beautiful children, one boy and two girls. My first born was Levitan Clifford John Isaac, who born of May 14, 1996. Secondly, were Zaraya Lillian Vivian who was born on May 25, 1997 and Krisalyn Emily Victoria, born on July 9th 2001. Presently, I'm enrolled in a Bachelor of General Studies program located at the Sakastew School in Pukatawagan, Manitoba. I have been living in Pukatawagan since October 22, 2000. My favorite color is blue, I enjoy science fiction and writing poetry; to this day I will always love my mom and hate bellbottom jeans.
Chief & Council
PUK BUSINESS PROPOSAL LETTER
MCCN
Pukatawagan, MB
R0B 1G0
(204) 553-2090
Fax (204) 553-2143Brian Castel
Box 165
Pukatawagan, MB
R0B 1G0
(204) 553-2163
e-mail: briancastel@hotmail.comRe: Sustainable Development/Youth Camp
In recommendation for creating a youth camp in Pukatawagan, I would like to offer some information on materials and funding available for a youth camp; under the heading, Sustainable Development Innovations Fund. With this program I propose a joint venture with Chief Council and myself, and the Youth Council of Pukatawagan; to create a youth camp that generates revenue for the youth, instructors, and the community. With this initiative the SDIF funding will create seed capital to purchase equipment required to set up a camp that houses twenty individuals. In the camp the youth will learn how to trap, fish, hunt, and to survive in the wildness. I require some commitment and information from Chief and Council: who will be instructing the youth? What kind of financial commitment, Chief and Council will be providing towards the program and their opinion on proposal I provided? I would like to arrange a meeting with the mentioned parties, as soon as possible.
Thank you, for your time and effort.Sincerely,
Brian Castel
Cc.
How are you my son?
LETTER FROM AN ANCESTOR
The year is 1489 and I just woke up from a startling recurring dream. I just like to send you a word of the wise and hope it gets to you soon. As I was saying , I got up from this dream many times over the years Not knowing what the dream meant. Every time the dream occurred I would wake up drenched in sweat, then I would wake-up one of my wives and explain the dream to her, so she could tell me the details of it later on. Then I started understanding that in fact it wasn’t a dream, it was a vision. In this vision I was sleeping in my teepee and was awakened suddenly by a thundering sound, so thundering that it shook the earth, the sky, and the water. I jumped to my feet and pulled open the door to this blinding bright light. When my eyes had adjusted I saw so many images flash across my path. On this path I call reality, I saw images I do not understand and in my lifetime, will not understand. The first thing I saw was this wall of fire that engulfed everything in its path, even rock turned into dust. Then my eyes focused on towering long houses that had many look out holes. In and around these structures were so many people with different colors of skin. I never seen so many beings in my lifetime; there were so many it was like the number of stars up in father sky.
PERSONAL CONFLICTSThroughout my life I have had many personal conflicts with nature, myself, or someone else. I learned that life is that way, teaching you to become stronger and resilient. Life is about survival of the fittest; who is the king of the castle? So I must live life to it’s fullest potential, and become a successful applicant to the Garden of Eden. Life’s like that, a conflict within itself; it’s inner turbulence to force change, and outcome.
A MEMORABLE TIME AND PLACE FROM MY CHILDHOODThe childhood memory that I recall is when I was referred as a beaver. It was mid-June and my Uncle and I were going to the fish plant to drop our daily catch. On the way, our 35 horsepower motor had broken down so we had to paddle a big fiberglass boat to shore. We made to shore, but had to start walking to town to get help. It was about a five-mile hike to town and there were swamps and rivers all around us. One creek I had to swim across was very cold. My Uncle called me to swim across, but I was reluctant. In the end, I started to swim across and my Uncle started laughing at me. I guess my black wind breaker was filled with air and I looked like a big beaver swimming across to him. We made it to town, but did not succeed in getting help for my parents who were stuck on the island waiting for us to get back form the fish plant. My parents were stuck on the island for three days until they saved themselves by waving down passerbys. That is one memory that comes up in our conversation when I visit my Uncle.
When the year is 2042, life on a northern reserve will have many significant changes. In today’s society there is a race for technology and everything revolves around modern technology. Without it, many people would be lost. It is the convenience of modern technology that spoils modern everyday life; things that were laborious in the past are now done with the touch of a button. In northern reserves that is evident as in almost everyone’s home you find modern appliances that make household duties easier. This is an epidemic that will affect everyone’s lives. Lack of exercise will create lethargic, overweight people within the first decade of the twenty-first century.
LIFE ON AN INDIAN RESERVE 40 YEARS FROM NOWAs people become knowledgeable and understanding of what they are doing to themselves they will become conscious of the effects of modern technological advances. They will re-learn the ways of our ancestors and become more involved within their communities. They will become self aware, knowing that the mother earth has always been their home and it should treated with respect. Once again we will be caretakers of this land and nurture it as it nurtures us, as its children. I perceive the future living in Pukatawagan to be comforting and yet a wondrous journey of fate and change.
