Salford Totem Pole
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Posted by Editor on 23rd November 2010 at 10:54 AM
Video: Dirty Old Town - Totem Pole style
by Tom Rodgers

Restorer of the Salford Totem Pole and friend of SalfordOnline, Kevin Cranmer, here leads his group of Kwakwaka'wakw singers in a rendition of Ewan Mccoll's Dirty Old Town.

This impromptu performance was started up in the "bighouse" - a traditional cabin where the community gather - in Fort Rupert, British Columbia.

The village of Fort Rupert is an historic Kwakwaka'wakw village where native carvers work on totem poles or other artwork and traditional crafts.

"We only had a few minutes during dinner break to learn the song," says Kevin, "so the boys were learning the song as they sang it - pretty good for 'on the fly'!"

The singing was in honour of Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson, who the boys met in their last trip to Salford.

Somehow, by some strange co-incidence, the expert totem pole carving family who are the descendents of the man who originally carved the Salford Totem Pole in the 1960s, happen to be huge Man United fans.

Well, as the saying goes where I'm from, United fans are like rats in London, you're never more than three feet from one wherever you live.

Kevin, his nephew Edgar, and artist Bruce Alfred all visited Salford throughout the past two years to restore the Salford Totem Pole to its former glory.

These three inidigenous First Nation Canadian Indian artists visited the Carrington training ground and met the United manager in their most recent trip to Salford in summer 2010. It was a visit that also made the regional news and got them a feature article in the Manchester United magazine.

The 32ft cedar totem pole - painted in the traditional Kwakwaka'wakw colours of black, red and green - is currently on show in the Musuem of Museums in Trafford Park.

Report as offensive or innapropriate Comment by TomSO ( member )  24th November 2010
I'm a Crewe Alex man meself, there's only about six of us so you can understand the comment....

Report as offensive or innapropriate Comment by Guest  24th November 2010
United fans... you have to admit, they're always good for a laugh!

Report as offensive or innapropriate Comment by Guest  24th November 2010
The universal language of love...........Man Utd!

Report as offensive or innapropriate Comment by Guest  23rd November 2010
Great video, they actually sing the Salford line and they are wearing Man United tops, top blokes. Hey Rodgers with yer snide comments about rats and three feeet away, leave it whose your team, The Posh? I.C.J.

Report as offensive or innapropriate Comment by Guest  23rd November 2010
This is very cool!

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