Female Finnish Immigrant Stories

In October, FACA/FFTC held an event in hosting Lotta Leiwo, doctoral candidate at University of Helsinki. Lotta presented “From Toveritar to Today: Exploring Weather Narratives in Finnish-American History”. FGGMN member, Sally Dale, attended the event and thought it was amazing. Ms. Leiwo is studying a newspaper from the Iron Range, the Finnish Socialist Federation’s organ, women’s newspaper, Toveritar (The Woman Comrade), published from 1911 to 1930. In her presentation, she concentrated on the writings of Finnish-Minnesotan women and children in Toveritar, examining the following questions: How do these writers understand and experience weather? How are settler colonial conceptions transmitted or contested in these writings? How is nature politicized in Toveritar?

With Sally’s rave reviews, FGGMN is in the process of booking Lotta Leiwo for one of our spring 2025 meetings. Watch our FGGMN events page for a specific date.