Meet Elizabeth Albert-Peacock | Publisher

We had the good fortune of connecting with Elizabeth Albert-Peacock and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Elizabeth, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
We started Black Bears and Blueberries Publishing because we saw the need for Native children’s books written by Native writers and illustrated by Native illustrators. There is a real need for authentic, accurate reading materials about  Native people, and there are plenty of books out there on Native topics, but many are written by non-Native people, who possess little intimate knowledge of our history, culture and ways.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I’ve been a medical social worker, counselor for at-risk youth and Native Head-Start Director. For many of my recent years I was faculty in the Education Department at the U of Minnesota Duluth, where I taught courses for pre-service teachers, directed an early childhood program, and taught in special Native teacher training programs. My work has been both challenging and very rewarding.

Our work in publishing Native books is all part of giving back to our community and people, tribe, tribal nation, and especially children.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I’d take them to all my favorite places in and near Bayfield, WI, where we live much of the time – Houghton Falls, Bayfield, Frog Bay National Tribal Park, Little Sand Bay, Madeline Island, Eagle Bay. Then we’d go into Duluth and and see all the tourist sights – Enger Tower, the waterfront. We’d have an ice cream cone at Love’s in Lincoln Park, which is so good and really is a destination ice cream parlor. We’d have Chinese dinner in Superior, WI. We’d probably take a visit to Wisconsin Point, where our Ojibwe ancestors once lived, and out to the Fond du Lac Reservation to tour the rez.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
People in schools, libraries, and bookstores all over the Midwest, across the USA and in Canada who have ordered our books. We owe particularly to all the Native people who have purchased our books for schools, libraries, organizations, and for their own and their children’s use.

Website: www.blackbearsandblueberries.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Nativepublisher