Introducing the Honorary Consuls of Finland: Hanna Eklund, Alaska
In this series, we highlight the important work done by our honorary consuls around the 13 states in the jurisdictional area of Consulate General of Finland in Los Angeles. Hanna Eklund has acted as the honorary consul in Alaska for over 10 years already. How did she end up in this role and in Alaska in the first place? Read more in the interview, where Hanna shares her interesting journey to the northernmost state of the USA.
Education: Bachelors in Environmental Management, Environmental Engineer, MSSc in Human Geography
Profession: Project Coordinator at Institute of the North, President of the Anchorage Suomi Finland Club, President of the Turnagain Elementary Parent Teacher Association
Favorite thing about Finland: Finnish summer, black sausage, licorice ice cream, and of course, sauna.
Can you share a little bit about your history and what brought you to Alaska?
I am originally from Pirkkala, a town in Pirkanmaa in the Tampere city region. When I was still living in Finland, I was an active member of the Pirkkalan Pirkot girl scouts troop. Our troop leaders had planned to do a hiking trip to Alaska in 2005. At the same time, I was studying topics ranging from environmental issues, climate change and indigenous people in Tampere University of Applied Sciences. A group called Snowchange had a conference coming up in Anchorage and it was planned for the same year as our scout group’s hiking trip. So in 2005 I headed to Alaska - first to hike and then to organize the conference with Snowchange and Alaska Native Science Commission. I ended up spending three months here on my first trip.
That is also when I met the man who I ended up marrying later on. We went on a blind date, dated a few weeks before I had to go back to Finland, and we Skype-dated for a couple of years. In 2007, I returned to Alaska and we decided to explore if life as a couple would feel good for us. After trying it out for some time, we decided to get married and I called my mom the next day with the happy news! Things moved quickly but it was a good decision to come and stay. We have been together for 14 years now, and have two boys who we lovingly call Finnupiaqs, part Finns and part Inupiaqs. Inupiaq is one of the Northern native groups and areas in Alaska, and my husband’s family is from there, Kotzebue to be more specific.
How did you find your professional path in Alaska?
I have always been interested in topics related to indigenous people of the Arctic areas and environmental issues. The population of Alaska consists of a colorful mix of people ranging from Alaska Natives groups, Filipinos, Korean, Pacific Islanders, to Russians. You can feel the cultural richness especially in the capital area of Anchorage. Around 15 years ago, there were a lot of research projects going on here focusing on traditional knowledge of Alaskan Natives and how Western Science could learn from it. My previous studies concentrated on environmental and Arctic issues and when I got a green card, it was easy to start searching for work in these areas.
At first I worked part time in a jewelry shop (making jewelry is still a hobby!), and once I graduated from University of Joensuu in Finland, I found a job at the University of Alaska. There, I worked in a UAA Urban Elders project.
After that, I’ve had the pleasure to work on various extremely rewarding projects with Native knowledge and school curriculum support materials with Aleut and Suqpiaq tribes. For example, I’ve been lucky to work for tribes and schools in the Chugach area with their regional nonprofits. For the communities, the dilemma was that local children live on the coastal areas and see whales and octopus in their everyday lives, but the generic school programs teach them about lower 48 animals. Therefore, our goal was to bring traditional and local knowledge to the way kids learn at school. It’s also very difficult for teachers to find and get materials for teaching due to e.g. long distances, so we supported them also in this. It is not easy being a teacher in Alaska. Many professionals, who come from somewhere else, end up leaving quite fast due to harsh conditions and distances.
These days, I have worked six year at the Institute of the North. I first joined as a consultant when they needed help to organize the Arctic Energy Summit. I ended up staying and we organized various other events around Arctic themes, including one in Helsinki in 2017. Today my work consists of other office duties, projects with the Arctic communities, reporting and research. It is a very versatile and flexible role. In the future, I hope to work even more around indigenous people, youth and children.
How did you become the honorary consul of Finland in Alaska?
I met the previous honorary consul Wayne Stolt at the Anchorage Suomi Finland Club, and after a cup of coffee, he asked if I would be interested in the position as he was retiring. I thought I’d give it a try for a year, and if I didn’t like it, I would move on. Wayne recommended me to the position and at the time, it was quite progressive to vouch for a young woman for this role. Back then, most honorary consuls in Alaska were men over 60.
When I started, I knew nothing about consular services, but every year I am learning something new. There have been some tough moments too, but as a whole, the experience has been very rewarding. I am happy I took on the challenge. Today, I have been the honorary consul of Finland in Alaska for already 10 years.
In what ways do you help Finns in your role as an honorary consul?
I mainly do notary services, recommendation letters and help Finnish citizens in difficult situations, if they end up in trouble.
The opportunity to vote in Finnish elections and getting the mobile passport device here is very important because of the distances. Even though Finns living in Alaska might not be the most active travelers, having a valid Finnish passport is very important to them.
It would be great to bring more Finnish culture to Alaska as an honorary consul, and host events around movies and music. However, it is usually quite difficult to get performers here due to our remote location. But when you think about it a bit more, Anchorage is only a 3-hour flight from Seattle and 6 hours from LA, so in the end, it’s not that bad.
Alaska is perceived as a unique American state. What is everyday life in Alaska through Finnish eyes?
Alaska is a very large state and many people don’t understand its humongous scale. The distances are very long and you can reach only a few cities by car. The majority of Alaska is unreachable unless you have a plane or a boat. Even if you have one, the weather conditions change constantly which can disrupt travel.
The nature here is very diverse and so is the population and people’s beliefs. Anchorage is mostly democratic but Alaska has its own republican, metropolitan, and rural areas too. As a whole, Alaska is a very versatile and colorful place to live. Most of the people who live in Alaska came from somewhere else. In a way, we all start from zero. However, because we have all been there, everyone helps each other out. Friends become family, and we all take care of each other’s kids and share oven fresh pastries or handpicked berries with neighbors. My boys know that if they ever need help, they can always knock on the neighbor’s door.
The crime rate in Alaska is very high, among the highest when looking at the population. The reasons stem from generations-old trauma that for many, lead to alcohol and drug abuse, child abuse, and domestic violence. Much like in Canada, in the early 1900s to 1980s, many Alaskan Native children were sent to boarding schools and were stripped from their language, culture, and roots for years. The stories of many of these families have been quite grim.
Each of the 12 regions in Alaska have their own non-profit organizations (like for health and social services), corporations (some in oil and gas) and tribes. The areas aim to share wealth with their own residents and develop services to better the quality of life of locals. There are also huge efforts to revitalize the native cultures by bringing back languages, dance and art.
What I love most about Alaska is the four seasons and the rich nature. Every time I look out the window, I see the ocean or the mountains, moose or eagles. It’s just like being on a nature adventure every day.
What is the Finnish community like in Alaska?
In the early twenties, Finns arrived in Alaska in search of forestry or building work, happiness, and wealth. Today, there are around 100 Finnish citizens living in Alaska, but there are many more families with Finnish heritage. The wilderness of Alaska and fishing opportunities have drawn many Finns here. And of course, many Finnish women end up here after falling in love with an Alaskan, just like I did.
The state capital Anchorage has an active Finnish club established in 1922, called Anchorage Suomi Finland Club. It is one of Alaska’s oldest organizations with official founding documents. The club was first established due to regulations banning drinking alcohol in public spaces. At the Finnish clubhouse, people were free to dance and drink as they pleased. Since then, the club has hosted regular monthly member meetings. I have been involved in the Anchorage Suomi Finland Club for already 13 years, and I act as the president. Once a month we get together to hang out and have dinner. There are usually 30-60 people present, and Christmas parties are always a huge hit. We organize Finnish language courses, bake pulla, and have theme events around interesting topics.
What kind of business potential does Alaska offer for Finnish businesses? Do you have any tips that would help companies enter the area?
There are very few Finnish companies here in Alaska, but of course we have some Finnish products available, like Tulikivi, Harvia sauna stoves etc. The local universities have quite a lot of research collaboration with Finnish universities around arctic themes. For example, there is collaboration currently going on around biomaterials, circular economy and smart technology.
In my opinion, Alaska offers biggest opportunities for businesses in cleantech and green economy but also in logistics. Anchorage has the second or third busiest US airport when looking at freight transport. Therefore, logistics offer huge business opportunities in freight transport but also in the natural resources industries.
It is good to keep in mind that the decision making process in Alaska has many layers. You have to go through many stages and find the right network to get your idea forward. To our advantage, Finns know what it is like to do business in a cold environment. Any company entering Alaska needs to have respect for nature, as it is the livelihood for many people here.
Finnish sisu comes handy when the weather sometimes shuts down phone and internet connections. Flight connections can be interrupted for weeks and everything planned is canceled, there is nothing you can do about it. My first travel delays were frustrating, but one gets used to them.
You left your native country a long time ago. How do you feel about Finland and being Finnish these days? What do you miss the most from Finland?
Even though I have lived in Alaska for a long time, I am still not an American citizen yet. I feel very strongly about my Finnish heritage. From Finland I miss my family and close friends, and hanging out with friends at music festivals like Pori Jazz. I also miss the Finnish summer, black sausage (traditional Finnish Food), licorice ice cream, and of course, sauna. We had a sauna in our old house in Anchorage, but our current house is missing one. There is nothing better than rewinding in a Finnish sauna a couple times a week.
Honorary consulates