The Origins of the Finns: Have you ever wondered where the Finns came from? Since Finnish is clearly not a Western language, people have pondered this subject for centuries. Where did the Finns originate? Does their very unusual language make the Finns unique? How are they different from their neighbors? When do Finns appear in the history of Finland? This presentation begins with the prehistoric origins of Finnish speakers, their arrival in Finland, and their lives in tribal settings. It ends with the Swedish era.

Songs of the Finnish Migration: Offered in partnership with the Nordic Folklife project at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Ralph and Jaana Tuttila play and discuss Finnish-American music and dance in the Upper Midwest. Tom DuBois and Marcus Cederström, the book’s editors, will join Ralph and Jaana to offer insights into the significant contribution of songs to our understanding of the Finnish immigrant experience.

For 150 years, Finnish Americans have created a culture of their own by blending Old Country traditions with practices either adapted from multiethnic neighbors or created in response to a new life in America. In this lecture, Dr. Virtanen explores the Finnish and American aspects of Finnish American cultural practices and discusses why Finnish roots and American branches continue to matter… and why we are so fascinating to many Finns!

Finnishinaabe Fusions: Offered in partnership with the Nordic Folklife project at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Elizabeth “Lyz” Jaakola performs and discusses original compositions in a range of musical genres encompassing her dual Anishinaabe and Finnish American experiences.

As part of the FinnFest USA 2021 Virtual Lecture series, Dr. Tuomas Hovi from the University of Turku presents a lecture entitled “The Kalevala in Modern Finland: Influencing Popular Culture, Arts, and Business Life.”

Rebel girls, gypsies, brides, vagabonds, maids, daughters, mothers, artists, journalists, and revolutionaries. Finnish immigrant women came to the U.S. and constructed new lives with a new language and new identities. Through songs and poetry from the voices and experiences of Finnish and Finnish-American women, Jarvi shares their resistance, independence, sorrow, strength, and legacy.