Co-operatively Yours examines the Finnish America co-operative movement through the lens of Settlers Co-op in Bruce Crossing, filmmaker Kristin Ojaniemi’s hometown. Commissioned by the Finnish American Heritage Center in Hancock — formerly owned by Finlandia University — the film was created with additional support by the Finlandia Foundation, the Heritage Center’s current owner. It is one of three documentaries she produced for the Finnish American Heritage Center and was a recipient of the “Best Documentary Feature” at the Annual Eclipse Awards event honoring Michigan film and media makers (2018).

It’s no wonder that it was said, “If you get five Finns together, you’ll have a co-op store, two churches, and at least one Finn who doesn’t want to get involved.”

Based on the Rochdale Principles of Co-operation (Rochdale, England – 1844), Finns on both sides of the Atlantic embraced the concepts of co-operative endeavors of equity, education, patronage dividends, and full democratic control – meaning women were able to vote as well as men.

Finns in North America were the first to establish co-operative ventures, but followed rather quickly by like-minded Finns in Finland, which occurred prior to their independence from czarist Russia in 1917. Perhaps Finnish women accepted as equals within the co-operative movement hastened universal suffrage in Finland in 1905, when it became the second country in the world granting them the right to vote, and the first in the world to grant full suffrage, meaning that Finnish women could also run for public office.

The exterior of the co-op store in Bruce Crossing are pictured. (Photo courtesy of Kristin Ojaniemi)

Today more than 80% of Finland’s population is a member of one, or more co-operative ventures — the highest in rate in the world.

The principles of co-operative business ventures went well beyond a store with fair prices. Within the Finnish communities there was often a co-operative creamery, dairy, gas station, hall, fuel provider and/or restaurants. Some rural areas developed co-operative cemeteries and even a co-operative funeral home.

Keeping true the Rochdale Principles, these often-rural stores conducted educational courses, developed libraries, showed Finnish films, and hosted dances and athletic events. Members would proudly announce, “If the Co-op store doesn’t have it, you don’t need it.”

Kristin Ojaniemi’s documentary follows the Finnish American co-operative movement through the 20th century, including the turbulent years of political radicalism particularly during McCarthy’s Red Scare purges. Although the Central Co-operative Wholesale Exchange struggled to keep politics out of the operations – they were pushed and pulled by extremists on both the far right and far left.

At the completion of the film, Ojaniemi was quoted as saying, “When I was asked to do a documentary on the co-op store, I thought the history of a store, how hard can that be?” She soon learned the complexities of the Finnish American co-operative movement through the lens of her particular hometown store, the Settlers Co-Op in Bruce Crossing, which is one of only three original Finnish co-operative stores left within the Sauna Belt. The film premiered in 2017 as a keystone event celebrating the Settlers Co-op’s centennial.

Ojaniemi entitled the film, Co-operatively Yours after the very typical complementary close at the end of the store’s business letters. As for Ojaniemi, she has been a board member of the Settlers Co-op since that time. Sooner or later, she too became a co-operator.

The Marquette Regional History Center presents: Co-operatively Yours on Wednesday, March 13 at 6 p.m. Join us for this film viewing and discussion with director Kristin Ojaniemi. Our current special exhibit illustrates stories similar to this film. Come learn about a huge movement in the U.P. that had a great impact on many of our communities, the cooperative. $5 suggested donation. Please note the 6:00 start time which is earlier than most of our programs. For more info contact marquettehistory.org or call 906.226.3571.

The film is the intellectual property of the Finlandia Foundation National and is shown with permission.