Finnish Cultural Life in Minnesota: A brief glimpse at the many-sided organized activity in a single Finnish center like Duluth suffices to indicate that the Finnish-Americans, in a new situation, have created much that was original or independent to satisfy their spiritual needs. Wäinö Palm, who has observed the cultural life here for several decades, writes: "Culture is a concept which embraces all creative human activity which seeks with fixed purpose new, broader outlooks and progressive goals, and produces results enriching living conditions or spiritual capital. It is, of course, clear that the Finns of Minnesota, as laborers or workers of primitive farms, were not in a position to follow the paths which had been travelled in Western Europe or, in part, in the eastern parts of the United States. The activity of the Finnish immigrants has followed its own, modest goals. It did not possess, and could not have possessed, a background adaptable to a new environment, in which inherited tradition could have shone forth

Duluth's independent women's chorus which appeared in the Minnesota cen
tennial observance in St. Paul. Front row: Nancy Laine, Hulda Laine, Olga
Mäki, Edith Kilponen, Helmi Miller, Saima Salmio, Tyyne Torkko, director,
Anna Hopponen, Elma Field, Aune Hannula, Ethel Heikkinen, Naemi Saario.
Second row: Mary Siven, Jennie Ruotsinoja, Verna Cerio, Vieno Ekman, Sigrid
Higby, Helen Wesala, Laura Taylor, accompanist, Edith Hedin, Dagmar
Koski, Ilona Erlund, Eva Vainio, Ina Lax, Valma Tammi. Third row: Elli
Warren, Hanna Miettinen, Edith Petrell, Pearl Keinonen, Impi Salo, Helga
Kivi, Jennie Sysimäki, Helmi Mäki, Lydia Ollila, Alice Anderson, Agnes Mäki,
Hilja Leppi, Laina Laukkanen, Mayme Rajanen. Fourth row: Sadie Krebs,
Martha Johnson, Laila Pöyhtäri, Phyllis Polla, Lorraine Paavola, Elsie Ruot
sinoja, Betty Eskola, Edith Larson, Lillian Larson, Dorothy Lintula, Viola
Impola, Esther Koski, Donna Mae Rajavuori, Evelyn Ollila.

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