International presenters have arrived in the Copper Country ahead of Hancock’s Juhannus summer solstice celebration, bringing music, cultural traditions and a hope for lasting connections with the region’s Finno-Ugric communities.
Britt-Kathleen Mere and Mirjami Sipila both made the journey to the Upper Peninsula for the weekend’s events — though Mere’s group nearly fell short of its full six members.
“We were uncertain if we could even come here because two of our members hold Russian passports, and we were afraid they might not get visas — but they did,” Mere said. “It’s eight people in total. Technically the band is six members, but we have two members from the NGO who are also very musically gifted, so we decided to include them.”
Sipila, wasted no time taking in the local culture visiting with the group to the Finnish American Heritage Center.
“That was something I already wanted to see,” Sipila said of the Finnish American Heritage Center. “There’s very nice art inside and it’s beautiful. I loved the himmeli hanging in the big hall — it was very beautiful.”
Both presenters will participate in an open forum Thursday morning at Hancock High School, focusing on youth cooperation opportunities across Finno-Ugric communities.
“I would like to see if we can create long-lasting relationships, and maybe some great ideas would also emerge through the discussions,” Mere said.
On Friday, Sipila leads a presentation on the tradition of singing in Finland. In 19th-century during a period of Finnish patriotism, researchers rediscovered folktales and used traditional singing styles to preserve stories such as the Kalevala.
“People are supposed to be singing always — it’s a very nice communal thing,” Sipila said. “During my presentation, I’m not only lecturing and talking and playing music for them, but we are also going to sing together.”
Friday afternoon, the group KÄNNU PEAL KÄBI, or KPK, will perform songs in Uralic languages. Mere says Estonia has become a hub for Finno-Ugric cultural exchange. KPK is the musical branch of the youth focused heritage group MTÜ Hõimulõimed, is association with the Finno-Ugria Institute and the University of Tartu in Tartu, Estonia.
“Estonia is probably the most active in that area. We have a very large Finno-Ugric diaspora community there from different cultures, and we celebrate Kindred People’s Day every year,” Mere said. “Usually there are many questions, and people are very interested and excited.”
The pair are making the most of their time in the region. On the drive up, Mere persuaded the group to stop at the Estonian Martin Luther Church in Gleason, Wisconsin. Sipila says she looks forward to taking in the view from the top of Brockway Mountain. This weekend will be the KÄNNU PEAL KÄBI’s first performance outside of Europe.
Those interested in joining the open forum can meet the Juhannus presenters at 8:30 a.m. Thursday at Hancock High School, 501 Campus Drive in Hancock. More details are available online. Learn more about KÄNNU PEAL KÄBI here.
