Finnposium | “As I Am Now”: Sámi Identity in North America
Thurs., Oct 1 | 10am PT | 1pm ET
Join Finlandia Foundation National for a special Finnposium exploring Sámi identity and experience in North America. Moderated by Sámi- and Finnish-American folklorist Tim Frandy, this conversation brings together five North American Sámi to share their distinctive experiences of reconnecting with Sámi culture and community. From a history in which many Sámi immigrants kept their stigmatized identity quiet to today’s renewed connections across North America, Sápmi, and the Indigenous peoples of Turtle Island, the discussion explores the complexities of being both Indigenous and immigrant—and what identity, reconnection, culture, and belonging mean today.
Finnposium | Beyond Aalto: The Architecture of Everyday Life
Join Finlandia Foundation National for a special Finnposium exploring American residential design through a Finnish lens. Finnish-American architect Sini Kamppari, founder of Studio Kamppari and author of Building Finnish, examines the architecture of everyday life and how Finnish approaches to entryways, bathrooms, bedrooms, and other spaces differ from American conventions. By applying Nordic principles to a typical American home, Kamppari invites us to question the assumptions built into our own floor plans—and consider how more intentional design can better support the way we actually live.
Finnposium | Sisu, Sacrifice, and Survival: Exploring the 1939–1940 Finnish Winter War
Tues., Oct 27 | 9am PT | 12pm ET
Join Finlandia Foundation National for a special Finnposium exploring the transatlantic experiences of the 1939–1940 Finnish Winter War. Presented in partnership with three leading military history museums in Finland, the program examines how Finnish Americans supported Finland through relief efforts, volunteered to fight, and awaited news from loved ones during the war, as well as how wartime experiences traveled to America with later immigrants. Directors from the Finnish Defence Forces Museum, Infantry Museum, and Lotta Svärd Museum, together with FFN’s Curator of Special Exhibits, will explore the war’s lasting impact on Finland and Finnish America—and the heritage connections that continue today.