Pelkie: 100 Years of Finnishness in Michigan's North Woods
This film explores the Finnish community of Pelkie, Michigan, a “haven in the woods” where Finns' ancestral language and customs have persisted.
Directed by:Michael Loukinen
Season 1
S01:E01 - Part 1: From Copper Miners to Lumberjacks to Farmers
Many Finnish immigrants worked as copper miners but quickly traded that work for homesteading in the woods due to poor working conditions.
S01:E02 - Part 2: Third Generation: Cows, Kids, and Barns
Second and third-generation Finns worked on the farms as kids. They had freedom to run and play with a strong visiting and sauna culture among neighbors.
S01:E03 - Part 3: A Farewell to Dairy Farming
Descendants of Finnish immigrants move away to the cities to go to school and find work. Big box stores pushed out the small dairy farm and Finnish culture deteriorated in Pelkie.
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