Past Presentations
The Search for a Socialist El Dorado
January 11, 2026
Dr. Alexey Golubev presented his co-authored book The Search for a Socialist El Dorado: Finnish Immigration from the United States and Canada to Soviet Karelia in the 1930s.
FROM MINES TO WHEAT TO WOODS TO WASTELAND: THE FINNISH IDEAL?
November 8, 2025
Presentation by guest speaker, Gary Kaunonen, PhD. Education, Program and Recreation Manager of the MN Discovery Center, in Chisholm, MN. His topic is an in-depth look at Finnish Immigrant contributions to MN and beyond.
FROM ETHNIC TO LOCAL: FINNISH AMERICAN LANGUAGE AND CULTURE IN OULO, WISCONSIN
October 11, 2025
Our presenter Mirva Johnson holds a PhD in Scandinavian Studies – Folklore from the University of Wisconsin–Madison.
In this presentation, Mirva discussed how the social setting of language shifted over the 20th century in a northern Wisconsin Finnish American community influenced the development of local language and traditions.
PERCEPTIONS of FINNS’ RACE DURING the BIG WAVE of IMMIGRATION
MAY 10, 2025
Our speaker for the May meeting was Lily Obeda, Finnish instructor at the University of Minnesota. In this presentation, she discussed the perceptions of Finns' racial background during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and how this affected the social and cultural history of the Finnish population in the Upper Midwest.
Our March speaker was Sirpa Tuomainen. Sirpa always enjoyed visiting Finnish & Finnish-American homes and was fascinated to discover what kinds of Finnish objects people have and are displaying. Different generations have different styles, but there seems to be certain staples. It had been her longtime dream to investigate this more closely, and she was finally able to do it. Sirpa’s goal was to explore why people have kept these artifacts, how these items relate to their Finnishness, and how this all comes through via the narratives they’ve shared with her.
GENETIC GENEALOGY: DNA TESTING & FAMILY HISTORY
February 8, 2025
FGGMN members Mary Lukkarila and Barb Wilson reprised a presentation on Genetic Genealogy that they gave last summer at FinnFest. Their presentation explains the type of DNA used by different tests and the information obtained from each one. They will also provide ideas on how to make the most of your test results to expand your family tree.
BLM LAND RECORDS: A TRAIL TO OUR ANCESTORS
January 11, 2025
Certified Genealogist Marie Mattson presented. Have you ever visited the BLM (Bureau of Land Management) website? Did any of your ancestors’ homestead, receive military bounty land, or buy land from the federal government? Learn how to navigate the website and see two case studies exploring the parentage of Nikolai Hautala, who was born in Nurmo, Finland.
WHO ARE THE SWEDISH FINNS?
November 9, 2024
Our featured speaker was Kim Jacobs, Executive Director, of the Swedish Finn Historical Society in Seattle, Washington, presenting “Who are the Swedish Finns?” Kim discussed the organization's mission to gather and preserve the emigration history of Swedish Finns across the world and help connect Swedish Finns to their roots in Finland.
LEVÄLUHTA, FINLAND’S MYSTERIOUS BURIAL SITE
October 12, 2024
Presentation by FGGMN member, Barb Wilson. Learn about this Iron Age site not just unique in Finland; it also appears to be unique in the world. Although the burials were discovered centuries ago, modern science is now solving some of the site’s mysteries. Leväluhta bones have provided the oldest DNA available in Finland.
FINNISH DISEASE HERITAGE & GENETIC COUNSELING
SEPTEMBER 14, 2024
Our featured speaker was Christina Dailey, a genetic counselor at M Health Fairview. Christina works with patients, of all ages, to review their personal and family history to better understand their genetic risk. She has studied the Finnish Disease Heritage group of almost 40 hereditary genetic disorders, first discovered in the early 1960’s. These disorders are over-represented in the Finnish population, and continue to be studied today and form a basis for genetic counseling and genetic research in Finland and world-wide.
FIRST FINNS TO HOMESTEAD IN WRIGHT COUNTY MINNESOTA
May 11, 2024
FGGMN member, Richard Tormanen on the first Finns to homestead in Wright County, Minnesota. He will share a brief history of why and where they immigrated from and where they homesteaded. Richard will also tell the history and timeline of the Finnish Pioneer Park at Temperance Corner.
TIETÄJÄ AND NOAIDI: THE ROLES OF SUPERNATURAL ADVOCATES IN ANCIENT FINNISH AND SÁMI HEALING AND LUCK MANAGEMENT
APRIL 15, 2024
Presentation by guest speaker, Thomas A. Dubois, Professor, Folklore Unit Head and Director of Graduate Studies at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. This presentation compared the kinds of "shamanic" healing and magic reflected in the Kalevala with the kinds of healing and magic practiced by Sámi up through the 1700s, when shamanic activities became criminalized in the realms of Sweden-Finland and Denmark-Norway. The Finnish "tietäjä" or "knower" and the Sámi "noaidi" "worker of magic" have common roots but also some distinctive differences.
FINLAND’S FAMILY HISTORY ASSOCIATION (FFHA) ORGANIZATION
MARCH 9, 2024
Presentation by speaker Kari-Matti Piilahti, who Zoomed in from Finland. The presentation focused on Finland’s Family History Association (FFHA), its functions and its role as developer of the genealogy. Kari-Matti discussed the process of how the records are added.
PANEL: HOW MEMBERS HAVE CONNECTED WITH FINNS
FEBRUARY 10, 2024
A panel of FGG members shared their experiences and identified valuable tips for preparation and exploration while in Finland. Frequently, it involves connecting the dots, although family history and spontaneous connections may come to you. Drawing from our collective experiences, we hope we provided valuable tips for finding leads to your ancestry and current relatives.
20th CENTURY WAR IN FINLAND
April 15, 2023
FGGMN member, John Hanson, gave a broad review of wartime history in the context of the ordinary Finn. During this presentation, he covered significant wars involving Finns and the circumstances prior to and after the wars during the 20th Century.
ANTI-FINN SENTIMENT IN NORTHERN MINNESOTA
February 11, 2023
FGGMN member Pam Erickson presented information about the Anti-Finn sentiment that arose in northern Minnesota after the 1907 Mesabi Iron Range mining strike.
RESEARCH TIPS
January 21, 2023
Greg Isola, FGGMN Member, presented research tips that can be found in his articles as a regular contributor to the Finnish American Reporter.
Ahnentafel PDF from presentation:
CLICK HERE
WHAT DNA CAN TELL US ABOUT FINNISH ORIGINS
October 8, 2022
Barb Wilson, FGGMN Member, presented on what recent DNA studies tell us about the origins of the Finns. Every year, new DNA studies give us an increased understanding. Barb reviewed earlier beliefs about the origins of the Finns. (Are Finns Asian? Did they migrate to Finland from what is now Estonia? Are Finns different from other Europeans?) Then reviewed what current DNA studies tell us about these beliefs.
FGGMN MEMBER SEARCHES FOR FAMILY HOME IN FINLAND (Part 2)
September 10, 2022
Ed Ruitberg, FGGMN Member, took the search of his grandmother’s childhood home to Finland in early August 2022, and found more than he could have hoped for. He not only explored the farm where she was born and raised but made new lasting friendships. Ed picks up where he left off in February 2022, when he presented his initial research findings to the Finnish Genealogy Group of Minnesota. He traveled with his sister, Anne Taylor, and will show the people and places they visited.
PDF: CLICK HERE
PAINTED CLIFFS IN FINLAND
May 14, 2022
Karen Ba, FGGMN member, presented stories from her travels. We learn about Vuorivene – mysterious ancient mountain boats, painted on cliffs overlooking water passageways. Created 3000-6000 years ago in Finland, who made them, for what purpose, and why have we never heard of them?
FINNISH GENEALOGIST SHARES RESOURCES
April 9, 2022
Kauko Jyrkäs, a Finnish genealogist, presented resources that provide information on a farm’s size, taxes, ownership, and records of farm sales. Fun fact, when FGG member Barb Wilson was researching her family, she connected with her “new cousin” Kauko.
PowerPoint: Click Here (This will allow you to use the links in the presentation.)
FGGMN MEMBER SEARCHES FOR FAMILY HOME IN FINLAND (Part 1)
February 12, 2022
Ed Ruitberg, goes to Finland for family research. As a retired NASA engineer, Ed used shared his reasoning and logic to finding information.
FAMILY HISTORY CENTER RESOURCES
January 8, 2022
Information from Judy Martin,
Family History Center
PDF: Presentation Outline
PDF: Finnish Resources Referenced by Judy Martin, Family History Center
USING NEWSPAPERS FOR RESEARCH
November 13, 2021
FGGMN member, Pam Erickson, shares how to use newspapers for research. Pam is an active Minnesota History Center volunteer sharing her knowledge with visitors to the Gale Library archives.
PDF: Newspaper Links
RESEARCHING HISKI - FINNISH RECORDS
Barb Wilson, FGGMN Member, explains using Hiski records. It is a searchable database with information from many, not all, Finnish parish records. It was created by many volunteers at The Genealogical Society of Finland. One of these volunteers is Kauko Jyrkäs, Barb’s “cousin” in Finland and a prolific genealogy researcher. Barb connected with Kauko while researching her family history.
No Password Required: Researching in Hiski
FARMING IN FINLAND 1550-1917
January 28, 2017
FGGMN member, Barb Wilson, presents her research on farming during the transition period for Finland/Sweden after the Middle Ages to Finland’s Independence in 1917.
THE STORY OF FINLAND’S WAR CHILDREN
Veijo Paine, gives a written account of his experience as one of the Finland’s War Children.