Finns, Americans, and Their History
in the Lower Columbia River Region

This page is devoted to the speakers and presenters (and a few other persons of note) at 2004 Finnish-American Folk Festival. Join us at the festival and you'll learn something!

• Deanna Raistakka Wilson (left) and Darlene Bjornsgard (right) are the co-chairs of the Finnish-American Folk Festival Foundation, of Naselle, Washington. Anna Wirkkala Ehrlund (center) has been active in the local festivals for years.
• Lynn Laitala was raised in a mill town by her Finnish grandmother. Her academic training is in history, and she worked for the Minnesota Historical Society as an oral historian, where she gathered oral histories of Finnish immigrants and their children. For six years she edited Finnish American publications — the Finnish American Reporter and New World Finn — which gave her a broad perspective on Finnish-American history with its regional variations, and Finnish history, literature, and culture. She has published articles on many Finnish topics and has written fiction about Finns. Her novel, Down from Basswood, is about three generations of Finns in northern Minnesota. She is currently working on a book From Kalevala to Hiawatha with a grant from the Finlandia Foundation. Her presentations at Salolampi Adult Week, Finn Forum, and Finn Fest included Lessons from the Vanhatpoijat, Finnish frugality (humor), and Finnish Patriotism in World War II.
• Rebecca Meloy is an artist residing in Bellingham, WA, with Finnish roots on her mother's side of the family. In 2003 Ms. Meloy studied art at the University of Helsinki. Her linoleum cuts were inspired by the many cousins she met there. From mid-August through September, her works will be displayed in Seattle's Nordic Museum. Her paintings, inspired by Washington's scenery and titled "Cascadia" will be displayed in Finland this coming winter.
• Sandy Polishuk teaches oral history at Portland State University and lives in Portland, Oregon. She has been an activist since the 1960s in the peace, justice, and women's liberation movements. Ms. Polishuk recently viewed her 1974 police intelligence file that listed her occupation as parent and revolutionary. She serves as vice president of her local teacher's union. Her essays have appeared in both scholarly and literary journals. Sticking to the Union: An Oral History of the Life and Times of Julia Ruuttila was published in 2003.
• Jacqui Ryan is a resident of Clatskanie, Oregon, and a member of the Storytellers Network of Longview, Washington.
• Harri Siitonen has reported on sports in Finland for many years in the Finnish-American media. He grew up in the Finn Hall environment in New England and became a track & field enthusiast as a result. His father, the late Antti Siitonen, had been a gymnast and Greco-Roman wrestler for the Labor Society Veli in Quincy, MA, during World War 1. Harri himself has competed as a racewalker and marathon runner. He is currently retired in Berkeley, CA, is a labor and community activist, a student of the Finnish-American and Finnish labor movement, an actor, and a Finnish-to-English translator. He was a lecturer at the national Finn Fest 2004 in Lake Worth-Lantana, Florida, in February.
• Reino Tarkiainen is a native of Finland living in Portland, Oregon. "My Finnish pride in the Sauna and my desire to represent the 'true' Sauna here in America, prompted me to start my own Sauna business in 1964." His business, Finlandia Sauna Products, Inc., offers the best of sauna heaters imported from Finland and quality lumber from Oregon. It is the oldest sauna-building enterprise in the nation, distributing product all over the United States. Reino came to this country in 1952 where he settled in Knappa, Oregon. During his high school years he played football against Naselle. He is related to Deep River Finns.
• Norman Westerberg was born in Detroit in 1929, but grew up in Finland. He holds MS Degrees in chemical and nuclear engineering, and worked worldwide as consultant to the forest products and energy industry. A Seattle resident since 1980, he has held leadership roles in over twenty Finnish/Nordic organizations, including Co-Chair of the national FinnFest USA, President of the Advisory Board of the UW Scandinavian Department, Trustee of the Nordic Heritage Museum, Founding Director of the Swedish Finn Historical Society. He has served as Honorary Counsul of Finland in the State of Washington (1985–2000) and Vice Speaker of the Finnish Expatriate Parliament, and is a Knight Commander of the Finnish Order of the Lion. His interests include profiling Finnish-Americans based on US Census and Finnish emigration data.

The exact schedules of speakers and panels will not be posted at this site — though we can say that most will take place on the Main Festival Day, Saturday. The schedule of speaking presentations will be available at the festival.