The Birchbark House has received positive reviews and was a 1999 National Book Award Finalist for young people's fiction.
[1] After the prologue, the novel continues through the eyes of a seven-year-old young girl, Omakayas (her name means "little frog" because her first step was a hop).
Erdrich was also moved to write The Birchbark House to show aspects of a real native family during that time in history.
[3] Because of this familiarity, Erdrich chose to set her novel in this part region, telling the story of her family’s people, the Turtle Mountain Chippewa.
[4] She hoped that in telling this story she could deepen the understanding that the public had of Native Americans, saying that ”there's this humanity that's been lost in the public perception about Native American people.”[3] The series reinforces the deeper emotional aspects of the Ojibwe, and reminds the reader of their prevailing lineage.
She wanted to make accessing real native lives easier giving children a more well rounded view.
Erdrich also planned to create a series of books depicting the displacement of her people over a century, and how they ended up in Turtle Mountain North Dakota.
[6] So far she has completed 5 books: The Birchbark House (1999), The Game of Silence (2005), The Porcupine Year (2008), Chickadee (2012), and Makoons (2016).
Many of the illustrations and storylines were first hand experiences, like her own pet crow or a makak (birchbark eating bowl).
Her character resembles a real six foot Ojibwa bear hunter, who had a pack of dogs and a statement coat.
Omakayas’s name is taken from a tribal roll, which uses a different spelling than the standard Ojibwa way to say little frog, which would be “Omakakeens.” Erdrich guessed either it was a lost dialect or a misspelling, and chose to use this older version of the word to keep it grounded in the time period.
Instead of thinking of months and years, the seasons and climate are some of the only true measurements of time necessary to the lifestyle of our main characters.
“Many traditional Ojibwe stories are passed from elders to younger generations and serve to strengthen intergenerational relationships and teach valuable lessons to children, while others are told just for entertainment purposes.
Encountering and connecting with animals, spending time with her family, as well as learning skills, and facing challenges along the way.
Louise Erdrich tends to structure books in this manner, saving information, most of the time regarding familial status, alongside the protagonist’s true origins until the end.
Also, with ozaawaabikad meaning brass,[11] Deydey (Mikwam) – Omakayas's father is mixed race, half-white and half-Ojibwa.
In other words, he is attempting to learn the English alphabet to better aid communication and treaty negotiations with the whites.
At the end of the novel, Old Tallow revealed Omakayas’s origins, helping her to emotionally heal from the death of her younger brother.
Not only does Erdrich depict oral storytelling throughout the book but she also briefly describes the Ojibwe tradition of pow wows.
Despite the harsh winter months the Ojibwe people have found ways to not only embrace their culture but have fun.
[1] This is one of many monumental moments throughout the year for the Ojibwe people; as they also come together for both rice gathering and maple sugar collection.
"[16] Peter G. Beilder, writing in the journal Studies in American Indian Literature, said, "Much of the story, perhaps too much of it, is taken up with what we might think of as cultural background about Ojibwa life.
"[17] He also notes: "many readers will recognize the now-familiar Erdrich style that borders on overwriting but stops just short.