Finlandia Foundation National Rededicates the Finnish American Heritage Center After a Year of Hard Work

Nearly a year after the hard work began, the Finnish American Heritage Center was rededicated last week as a pillar of Finnish American culture in the United States. When the Finlandia Foundation National heard the news that Finlandia University in Hancock was going to close, leaders took it upon themselves to find a way to preserve and keep key Finnish American pieces, programs, and archives safe. During 2023 the foundation raised funds to support purchasing the Heritage Center and North Wind books, as well as the university’s historic archives, and exhibits, and retain the folk school, and Finnish American reporter, through the Saving Finland in the American campaign.

We have to put Hancock, Michigan to the map. And we have lots of ideas. We are digitizing the archives. We will create some online presence, traveling exhibitions, and so on and so forth. So we have plans, so, but we need, again, all hands on deck. This is not over. This is just beginning. – Anna-Mari Paster, President, Finlandia Foundation National

 FFN President Anna-Mari Paster says that the foundation plans to expand its presence in the new neighborhood. The foundation hopes to make Hancock a center of Finnish heritage by digitizing the former university archives, creating traveling exhibits, and continuing cultural programming with the folk school and reporter. Over the weekend the foundation invited many of the heritage center’s largest donors, foundation staff and leadership, and the consul general of Finland in New York Jarmo Sareva to explore the art gallery, and properties, and meet the local community.

Those interested in learning more about the foundation’s plans for creating a Finnish-American community in Hancock can learn more with Todd Van Dyke on Copper Country Today here.