Dear Canoe Builders, Friends, and Supporters: Greetings! This is a reminder that Week 2 of the Birch Bark Canoe Project will meet tonight: Monday, May 20th, at the Ely Folk School from 5-9 pm. Our focus tonight: 1) Moving the new canoe from storage to the newly renovated “North Classroom” (we will need a crew […]
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2019 BBCP Welcome
Dear Canoe Builders, Friends, and Supporters: Greetings! We are excited to offer the 2019 Birch Bark Canoe Project (BBCP) at the Ely Folk School; handcrafting, learning, and sharing! Welcome to Ely’s Birch Bark Canoe Project (BBCP)! Thank you to all of our participants and supporters! We respectfully honor the Anishinaabe origin of the birch bark […]
BBCP Wrap up & Potluck
Dear Canoe Builders and Friends, Early Autumn Greetings! It’s been a rewarding summer of birch bark canoe building – with a focus on community camaraderie, cultural awareness, learning, and respect. Thank you to everyone who participated or supported the Birch Bark Canoe Project and Ely Folk School. We are wrapping up the season this week with […]
BBCP Youth & Family Day
Wednesday, August 15, 2018 Everyone is welcome to join us for some or all of this free event (the forecast looks great – sunny and 70!). We are excited that participants will include: Kids and families from Wild Within (Ely’s adventure day care program) Youth and families from Ely Community Resource Tribal youth from the Bois […]
BBCP Update July 23
Blueberry Season Greetings! Ely’s Birch Bark Canoe Project is progressing each week with the construction of a large Ojibwe-style birch bark canoe. A mid-season update finds freshly harvested birch bark, spruce roots, and cedar wood; daily lashing of gunwales and thwarts; and lots of wood carving to produce headboards, pegs, planks, and ribs. Join us on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings from 6-9 p.m. at the […]
EFS Membership Drive 2018
As we enter our fourth year of classes, we’re proud of how the Ely Folk School is “building community by providing learning experiences that celebrate the wilderness heritage, art, history, culture, and craft of northern Minnesota.” 120 classes and events are set for the summer with more being planned. From woodworking to knitting, soap making […]
2018 BBCP Kickoff!
Dear Canoe Builders and Supporters, Greetings! This week’s Birch Bark Canoe Project (BBCP) schedule at the Ely Folk School (EFS) includes: Tuesday, May 22, 6-9 p.m. Thwart & peg construction Splitting & carving cedar ribs Wednesday, May 23, 6-9 p.m. POTLUCK AT 6 P.M & BBCP KICK-OFF EVENT with a public presentation Carving cedar gunwales […]

BBCP September 6
Join us at Ely Folk School on Wednesday evenings through September 27th, between 5 and 8 pm, to help build our new birch bark canoe, or just visit and watch! September 6th agenda: Continue pegging and lashing gunwales Carve head boards Fit long-nose style stems (bent last week) Peel and split fresh spruce roots (watap) A summer’s end potluck dinner is scheduled for the […]
BBCP August 29 & 30
Join us Tuesday and Wednesday evening, August 29 & 30 between 5 and 8 pm, at Ely Folk School to help build our new birch bark canoe (or just visit and watch.) This week we: Build canoe with Ely promotional film makers (Tuesday at 6 pm.) Continue pegging and lashing gunwales. Continue cutting out birch bark […]

BBCP August 22 & 23
Join us Tuesday and Wednesday evenings between 5 and 9 pm at Ely Folk School to help build our new birch bark canoe or just visit and watch. This week’s Agenda (August 22 & 23): Begin pegging and lashing gunwales Lace vertical gores with spruce root Continue making birch bark scallops Design, carve, split, bend, and lash long-nose style stems