Graham Jaehnig/Daily Mining Gazette The Kivajat Finnish Folk Dancers perform at the 2023 Finnish Independence Day celebration at the Finnish American Heritage Center.

HANCOCK – The Heritage Center, located at 435 Quincy Street in Hancock will host its annual celebration of Finland’s independence, on Dec. 4, beginning at 5:30 p.m.

On December 6, 1917, Finland’s Parliament convened to discuss two different declarations of Finnish independence from Russia after the Bolsheviks took control of the country in the Russian Revolution. The vote was 100 for and 88 against. Finland became self-governing. Just one year later, Finnish residents in Michigan’s Copper Country first observed their homeland’s independence. It has been observed and celebrated since says Director of the Finnish American Heritage Center David Maki, who is also the managing editor of the The Finnish American Reporter.

“This is something that the Copper Country has been doing every year since Finland became independent,” Maki said. “Research has found that there have been seemingly no interruptions. Wars didn’t stop the event, COVID didn’t stop the event. It seems nothing can stop the Copper Country from remembering their roots.”

This year’s celebration will Feature performances by the Kivajat Dancers and the newly-formed Kuparikielet youth folk dance band.

Attendees will surely be uplifted to see such high levels of engagement in cultural preservation by today’s young people. Keeping with recent tradition, Maki said.

The program’s keynote speaker will be Upper Michigan TV personality Mandy Koskela, of WLUC in Marquette. While Koskela is a native of Tampa, FL, she has family roots in Finland. Maki says she has embraced her immersion into the Finnish-American culture of the U.P. since moving here in 2023. She’ll share her perspectives about her fondness for her roots and just how deep they go in this region.

“It’s rewarding to see that almost every aspect of our program, from the presenters to the speaker, includes representatives of the next generations,” Maki said. “Young people taking interest in history and culture is tangible proof that what we’re doing is sustainable – and it matters.”

The program will also include the announcement of the 2026 Hankookin Heikki, the person honored for significant contributions to the advancement of Finnish-American and Finnish culture in the area.

Hankookin Heikki is a person or group who is acknowledged, recognized, celebrated for going the extra miles and making extraordinary efforts to preserve and promote Finnish heritage, in the Copper Country and beyond.

Immediately following the Independence Day event, the Heritage Center will host an opening reception for its newest art exhibit, the Friends of Finland youth exhibit, which includes works from four high schools in and near the U.P., as well as individual submissions from students outside the Midwest.