Birchbark Books

BirchBark Books and Native Arts is a joint venture of local book lovers, writers, Native American artists, neighborhood artisans, carpenters, and painters. We are an independent bookstore, with all of the accompanying quirks and non-corporate eccentricities. As the malling of America continues, it is our mission to be other. We offer the best in literary fiction, non-fiction, and poetry, and have a special focus on books by and about Native Americans. Minneapolis has one of the largest concentrations of urban Natives in the Untied States, and we wanted to provide a locus for Native intellectual life. We are native owned (Louise Erdrich is an enrolled Turtle Mountain Chippewa) and our staff is of either Native background, or exceedingly Native-friendly! We feature Native arts, jewelry, gifts, Native grown and harvested wild rice, maple syrup, jellies, coffee, popcorn, corn, beans, and medicinal teas. Our manager, mentor, friend, and book sage, Brian Baxter, has painstakingly created an inventory of over 8,000 titles. We use every inch of our 800 square foot store. We also special order books, and appreciate these orders. We are committed to finding and stocking the very best in children's books, with a special emphasis on Native American titles. We hope that our lovingly made children's loft (built by Mr. Jim Geschke)and cozy kids chairs (stuffed by Rita Erdrich) and the hobbit hole reading nook, will be one of those special spots children grow up remembering fondly. We are very much about being neighbors. Our presence in Minneapolis is part of a very serious effort to make this city a better place for children and grown ups. We are a teaching bookstore, and willing to talk about the particulars of our books and special displays. Our inventory includes quillwork, traditional basketry, silverwork, Native dolls, and Native paintings. We deal directly with local, regional, and southwestern artisians, and can also special order whatever interests you. We stock one-of-a-kind objects available only seasonally, or as the artist completes thems. At present, we have an array of metal-work bracelets by Mitchell Zephier, Lakota, a great selection of bead and quill earrings by Emma gyer, Manitou Rapids Anishinabe, a few quill boxes by Delia Begonang of Manitoulin Island, freshly made red willow baskets by Curtis and Debbie Cree, Turtle Mountain Chippewa, star quilts by Pat Stuen, Turtle Mountain Chippewa, poster art, baby wear, and Got Doodoosh? bibs by Chad Uran, White Earth Anishinabe. As time goes on we feature other artists, and we always have a changing array of beautiful things.