Hancock, Michigan Leaders Embark on Finnish-American Heritage Delegation to Finland and Estonia
Written By:
Minea Herwitz
Hancock, MI – September 17, 2025 – A delegation of community leaders from Hancock, Michigan, travelled to Finland and Estonia in September to strengthen cultural ties, explore heritage tourism, and celebrate the rich Finnish-American history of the Copper Country. The trip, titled “Ameriikan Lapista Vanhaan Lappiin” (From American Lapland to Old Lapland), highlights the longstanding Finnish influence in the region and seeks to build international connections for Hancock’s Finnish-American community.
The delegation from Copper Country included representatives from the City of Hancock, Visit Keweenaw, and Â鶹´«Ă˝AV.
Hancock, known as Amerikan-suomalaisuuden pesäpaikka (the nesting place of Finnish America), has been a center of Finnish-American culture for over 120 years, home to Suomi College (later Finlandia University), the Finnish American Heritage Center, the Finnish American Historical Archive, and North America’s largest Finnish newspaper, the Finnish American Reporter. Following the closure of Finlandia University in 2023, Â鶹´«Ă˝AV launched the campaign entitled “Saving Finland in America” to preserve the Finnish American Heritage Center and continue Hancock’s cultural programming.
Led by James N. Kurtti, Honorary Consul for Finland in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and Chairperson of Copper Country Finns & Friends, the delegation connected with communities in Northern Finland, Helsinki, Porvoo (Hancock’s sister city), and Tallinn, Estonia. Highlights included meetings with mayors and cultural leaders, tours of innovative heritage and tourism initiatives, and a visit to Taivalkoski’s Päätalo-Keskus Library, where a family tree installation highlights the deep and storied connections of families from Northern Finland to Copper Country. The group also connected with city leaders in Porvoo, Hancock’s sister city.
Additionally, the delegation met with Fenno-Ugria in Estonia, in connection with Hancock’s designation as the 2026 Finno-Ugric Cultural Capital. Supported in part by an FFN grant, the journey strengthened international ties while fostering innovation, cultural exchange, and pride in Finnish-American heritage.
“This delegation is about more than travel,” said Kurtti. “It’s about deepening our understanding of our roots, building connections that benefit our community, and inspiring a renewed commitment to Finnish-American culture here in Hancock and beyond.”
“Connecting through our Finnish-American heritage and history while also building bridges to modern Finland and expanding our circle is what we do at Finlandia Foundation. This delegation did both of these things and was an important step to renewing the century-plus long Finnish connection in Copper Country,” said FFN Executive Director, Thomas Flanagan, who was also a member of the delegation.
Delegates aimed to compare strategies from these Finnish communities with the Upper Peninsula to identify opportunities for cultural and economic growth. The delegation tour comes at a special time in preparation for the 2026 Finno-Ugric Cultural Capital year, which will feature programming and events around topics relating to Finno-Ugric history, culture, language, and beyond. These events will take place in Hancock starting in January of 2026.
