Little Free Library has arrived at Red Lake Nation College! We were pleased to grant through our Indigenous Library Program two book-sharing boxes and a selection of culturally relevant books to Red Lake Nation College (RLNC) Minneapolis site, the first tribal college located in a major U.S. city. A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held at the college with RLNC and LFL representatives in attendance, along with Milkweed Editions staff and poet Chris La Tray.
“Red Lake Nation College is proud to be hosting a Little Free Library,” said Sarah Barott, faculty member in the English department. “Literacy is such an important skill, and ensuring that the Native American community has access to high-quality books where they can see themselves reflected is an honor. We were lucky to have help from Montana’s Poet Laureate Chris La Tray, who led a fantastic poetry workshop after the opening.”
Our Indigenous Library Program, which launched in 2023, has granted more than 100 Little Free Library packages to Native American and First Nation communities across the U.S. and Canada. The program aims to expand easy access to books, strengthen community, and inspire readers, in collaboration with Indigenous leaders and community members. Each grant recipient receives a Little Free Library book-sharing box, installation materials, and a set of books that includes titles by Indigenous authors.
“Congratulations to the Red Lake Nation College on the addition of an Indigenous library to their Minneapolis location,” said Talia Miracle, manager of the Indigenous Library Program. “I am honored to be a part of their commitment to share culturally connected books with staff, students, and visitors at the first tribal college site located in a major U.S. city.”
Milkweed Editions, a Minneapolis-based publisher and neighbor of the college, donated their Indigenous-authored books to help fill RLNC’s new Little Free Libraries, including Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer, The Lost Journals of Sacajewea by Debra Magpie Earling, and Becoming Little Shell by Chris La Tray.
The Indigenous Library Program continues to grow, thanks to increased awareness and funding from foundation grants, sales on our online store, and individual donors. The program recently introduced new branding, featuring the work of local Anishinaabe artist Sarah Agaton Howes, who is from the Fond du Lac reservation in Northern Minnesota.
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