Introduction In the era of globalization the attempt to draw the world's attention to cultural diversity is reflected in such phenomenon as multiculturalism. The USA is a perfect example of this cultural blending. Multiethnic tendencies are shown in the literary work of contemporary American authors of different cultural backgrounds. The beginning of Native American Renaissance in 1960s contributed much to the development and promotion of indigenous writers' fiction. Louise Erdrich is a modern prominent writer. She is a mixed-blood, half-Indian (her mother is of Ojibway126 origin) and half German American (from her father's side). Native American world perception, mythology, cultural beliefs, traditions and customs are reflected in her prose. The material of this research makes L. Erdrich's cycle devoted to North Dakota Indians. Such novels as Love Medicine, 1983, 1994, The Beet Queen, 1986, Tracks, 1988, The Bingo Palace, 1994, Tales of Burning Love, 1996, The Antelope Wife, 1998 form the cycle mentioned. In her work the writer touches such important problems as cultural diversity, national identity, self-realization of a personality in the conditions of rapidly changing multiethnic society, etc. The paper offered is devoted to investigation of Chippewa borrowings functioning in L. Erdrich's prose. The following methods are used in the research: • comparative-historical and cultural methods to make complex analysis of indigenous prose; • phenomenological method to understand the writer's world perception to explain L. Erdrich's usage of borrowings in Ojibway; • receptive-esthetic and contextual-stylistic text analyses to study the inner semantics of the author's discourse; • content-analysis method to transform verbal information of the novels into meta-verbal to explain protagonists' behavior determined by their systems of values engraved deeply on a subconscious level. The ideas of the following domestic and foreign scholars make the theoretical basis of the research: M. Tlostanova, G. Vizenor, L. Stookey, L.M. Silko, K. Lincoln, D. Cryer, J. Bruchac, P.G. Beidler, G. Barton, D. Morrison. Results. The borrowings in Chippewa language used in L. Erdrich's fiction perform several functions: • draw the attention of Non-Indian community to the urgent problems of Native Americans, promoting and saving the indigenous culture; • convey hidden cross-cultural information "enciphered" in L. Erdrich's novels; • forecast protagonists' future preparing readers to perceive the writer's main ideas; • are connotatively colored elements showing the novelist and her characters' expressivity and concernment. Conclusions, Taking into account the results obtained, we consider it reasonable to keep investigating Native Americans' fiction. Indigenous mentality differs much for Non-Indian. For researchers and readers of not Native origin not to misinterpret the work of Indian authors, it's necessary to be aware of cross-cultural peculiarities and beliefs. Borrowings are a helpful "tool" used by the writer to convey the hidden cross-cultural messages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]