On August 8th, 2022, Burntside, a new 20-foot birchbark canoe, had its maiden voyage in Burntside Lake near Ely, MN.

The canoe was built at the Ely Folk School (EFS) by its Birch Bark Canoe Project. MCM Director & EFS Instructor Erik Simula led the community build that took four summers to complete.

The project included guest Native Elders, youth groups, and feasts, along with committed student builders and many public visitors who viewed the MCM canoe collection in EFS, watched the building process, or volunteered to help! Classes included harvesting birch bark, cedar wood, spruce roots, and pine pitch in the forest, handcrafting all the components, and constructing the canoe outdoors on the ground in the traditional way.

The Burntside birchbark canoe is on display at the Ely Folk School.

The EFS Birch Bark Canoe Project was supported in part by the Arrowhead Regional Arts Council and the MN Arts & Cultural Heritage Fund.

Thank you to everyone who took part or supported this meaningful cultural work!