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| Industry | |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2001 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States[1] |
Areas served | Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area |
| Products | |
| Owner | Louise Erdrich[1] |
| Website | birchbarkbooks |
Birchbark Books and Native Arts is a Minneapolis, Minnesota-based bookstore and gift shop that sells Native American art and literature, especially from Dakota and Ojibwe culture. The store is situated in the largest urban population of Native people in the United States. It was founded in 2001 by author Louise Erdrich (Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians[2]), who considers it a "locus Indigirati – literate Indigenous people who have survived over half a millennium on this continent."[3]
The physical location in the Kenwood neighborhood of Minneapolis is known as Birchbark Books and the online art ecommerce storefront is known as Birchbark Native Arts.[1] An event space and warehouse called Birchbark Bizhew or Birchbark Lynx debuted in April 2023.[4] The business is collectively called Birchbark Books and Native Art.
The physical location focuses on Native books and art, and sells some non-Native products. The online store sells only Native products.[4]
Birchbark carries a variety of Native-authored literature in genres such as fiction, history, spirituality, education, and language. They focus on stocking little-known and up-and-coming Native authors and materials. A significant Dakota and Ojibwe language section is stocked with children's picture books, language learning materials, and adult literature.[3] Staff personally choose the books stocked and handwritten signs on the shelves give recommendations to customers.[3]
The interior of the store is decorated with Native art and the space was designed by Native artists. A large canoe hangs from the ceiling, the children's area has a loft styled like a tree house with a Hobbit hole underneath, and an altar installation is decorated with owner Erdrich's sins.[4]
Birchbark is part of the Midwest Independent Booksellers Association.[5]
Owner Erdrich has said that Birchbark is haunted.[6]
Birchbark Bizhew event space
editIn April 2023, Birchbark opened a second location known as Birchbark Bizhew or its English equivalent: Birchbark Lynx. The space is a finished empty warehouse capable of holding events such as author talks and classes that also accommodates Birchbark's expanded stock for online and bulk orders. Prior to the launch of Bizhew, Birchbark conducted events at nearby art galleries and churches.[1]
During the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown, Birchbark closed its physical location and its online orders skyrocketed. The lack of a stock room at the original location made operating the store and fulfilling online sales difficult. They acquired a second space to continue their increased online sales without crowding the store.[4] The second space also allowed them more control over event scheduling.[4][7]
Birchbark Bizhew is in the Loring Park neighborhood of Minneapolis in a building known as Loring Corners. The location is closer to downtown and denser bus transit options, which makes it more accessible for events than the original location, which is in a residental neighborhood.[4]
PEN Award-winning author Mona Susan Power held the release party for National Book Award-longlisted A Council of Dolls at Birchbark Bizhew.[8] Events have included authors such as Monique Gray Smith and Carole Lindstrom.[4]
In popular culture
edit- Protagonist Tookie in 2021 novel The Sentence by Louise Erdrich works at Birchbark Books, which the author owns in real life.[9]
References
edit- ^ a b c d Egerstrom, Lee (8 April 2023). "Birchbark Books opens second store for expanding business". The Circle News. Retrieved 2 November 2023.
- ^ "The Night Watchman, by Louise Erdrich (Harper)". The Pulitzer Prizes. 2021. Retrieved 2 November 2023.
- ^ a b c Erickson, Camille (27 April 2017). "After 17 years Birchbark Books continues to center Native stories, space amid society of erasure". Twin Cities Daily Planet. Retrieved 2 November 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f g Koenning, Anna (3 May 2023). "Birchbark Books opens event space in Loring Corners to showcase Native authors". Southwest Voices. Retrieved 2 November 2023.
- ^ "Birchbark Books & Native Arts". Midwest Independent Booksellers Association. Retrieved 2 November 2023.
- ^ "The ghosts, past and present, that haunt renowned Minnesota novelist Louise Erdrich". The Freeman. Greater Milwaukee Today. 16 November 2021. Retrieved 2 November 2023.
- ^ Schuster, Christine. "Minneapolis' Birchbark Books to open Loring Park events space". Bring Me the News. Retrieved 2 November 2023.
- ^ "Mona Susan Power: A Council of Dolls Publication Celebration". Eventbrite. Retrieved 2 November 2023.
- ^ Minturn, Molly (1 November 2023). "5 Books for Native American Heritage Month". University of Virginia Library. Rector and Visitors of the University of Virginia. Retrieved 2 November 2023.
External links
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