Jarmo Sareva, consul general of Finland in New York, toured the Copper Country Monday and Tuesday, including a stop at the Suomi Restaurant for pannukakku. (Houghton Daily Mining Gazette photo)

HOUGHTON — A Finnish ambassador got his first taste of the Copper Country this week.

Jarmo Sareva, who serves as Finland’s consul general in New York, toured the area Monday and Tuesday. He was in the Midwest to attend Finn Fest. With this summer’s closing of Finlandia University and the subsequent effort to preserve the Finnish American Heritage Center, he wanted to tie in a visit here.

“I contacted (Honorary U.P. Finnish Consul) Jim (Kurtti), and he very kindly promised to facilitate my trip here,” Sareva said. “And of course in my job I would sooner or later have come here anyway, because this is the center of Finnish America.”

The top priority of Sareva’s visit was the Finnish American Heritage Center, one of the important Finlandia University properties being sought for preservation by the Finlandia Foundation, an unaffiliated Pasadena, California-based group focused on Finnish American culture. The foundation became involved after Finlandia University’s March announcement it would close at the end of the academic year.

Although Sareva can’t speak to the status of the foundation’s efforts to preserve the properties, “things look good in the sense of saving the archives and the collection,” he said.

The center has become a hub of Finnish American culture, both for its historical and genealogical resources and for its cultural programming. It’s been characterized as the “Smithsonian of Finnish America,” Sareva said.

“Therefore, it’s an asset, it’s a resource, not only locally or statewide, among Finnish Americans,” he said. “It’s something that needs to be preserved for global use, including researchers in Finland and those who want to come here and learn more about the history and heritage of Finnish American immigrants.”

Sareva also met with local government officials, including Hancock City Manager Mary Babcock and Houghton County Administrator Ben Larson. He also made a trip to the MTEC SmartZone, including meeting with the leaders of Orbion.

Sareva’s noticed a “vibrant network” of exchanges economically and culturally between stakeholders here and their counterparts in Finland. He’d like to see business ties strengthened in the area. Because of similarities he noted between the tech industry here and in Finland, he’s suggested a delegation of local economic development officials travel there to meet with their Finnish counterparts.

One possible meeting spot is Slush, an annual startup and tech event in Helsinki.

“It could provide a great opportunity for people here to see for themselves what the startup scene and ecosystem in Finland is all about, and then make productive connections,” he said.

Sareva also saw some of the Finnish cultural resources in the area, such as the Finnish Theme Committee of Hancock, which is the Finlandia Foundation’s local chapter, and the Hanka Homestead.

“It was a great visit, and I think all Finnish Americans must be grateful to the volunteers who run and maintain the site,” he said.

Sareva’s visit comes at a time when the relationship between the U.S. and Finland is closer than ever. Finland was recently approved as a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization; Finland and the U.S. are now negotiating a bilateral defense cooperation treaty. Trade between the countries has also rapidly increased, with the U.S. recently for the first time becoming Finland’s top export target.

The Copper Country’s known about Finland since the 19th century. But that awareness has become broader recently, Sareva said. It’s gained notice for its quality of life, including six years in a row ranked as the happiest country in the world. Their previous prime minister, Sanna Marin, also became a household name in the U.S.

Marin was succeeded by Petteri Orpo this year, but Finland’s inroads will continue, Sareva said.

“The new government that we have in place is very firmly committed to further strengthening our relations with the United States,” he said.

Sareva had three main takeaways from his visit. First, the Finnish American Heritage Center was “grander than I actually thought,” with a vast collection, he said. He was also impressed by a Winter War exhibit at the Jutila Center.

“Things like this, when they all are added up together, it is important,” he said. “It’s something that needs to be preserved.”

Second, he said, the area’s economy is strong and becoming more versatile. He mentioned Houghton County’s status as the only U.P. county to gain population in the 2020 census.

“In addition to traditional industries, there’s a pretty booming recreational and hospitality industry here because of the clean air, nature, the lake, and there’s also the growth of the tech sector here that is behind the increasing resiliency of the economy here,” he said.

He’s also seen firsthand the Copper Country’s enduring connection to Finland.

“Even those who do not have Finnish ancestry seem to find Finland and the Finnish heritage of this region as an important part,” he said. “I’ve told everyone that Finnishness is a state of mind, not unlike Irishness.”