So I am writing this sort of fan fic-y thing that revolves around Liz's time in Mtigwaki. Despite all of LJ's "research" and wacky small town characters in the strip, I don't really have much of a sense of what this town would actually be like. I was reading the section on Mtigwaki under "Classic Content" on the website, and noticed this line
Having lived in Lynn Lake and seeing quite a few remote villages, I knew there were government buildings and heritage buildings. Those built by the government are located near the centre of town, are set in rows, are modular, wood sided, serviced with electricity and plumbing.
I'm curious--what kind of government building would be in a remote area like Mtigwaki (and why wouldn't it be in Spruce Narrows, or another larger town)? Would it be provincial or national? Would it provide general services or First Nations-specific ones? I briefly lived in a small town in northern Minnesota (although it was bigger than Mtigwaki; when I was there almost five years ago, the population was about 3,000), and the only government buildings in the area were US Forest Services building, a tiny police station, and a public ultilities building a bit out of town. Are these the kind of places that would be in a native village? And what's the equivalent term for something like "US Forest Services"?
I want a specific building building to play a role in what I am writing, and I don't want to go the "Clem Snodgrass's Bait 'n' Taxidermy" (or whatever it is LJ thinks people in rural areas do) route. Any ideas?