"Hikikylpymiehet" ja "luonnonlapset" : suomalaisten ja intiaanien kanssakäyminen, sosiaalinen asema ja näkemykset toisistaan Pohjois-Amerikassa n. 1850-1950

Abstract

This Master’s thesis of general history focuses on the social interaction between ethnic Finns and Native Americans in North America c. 1850—1950. The research aims to cover the nature of the interaction phenomenon in question as well as the social statuses of both groups and the attitudes expressed by them concerning the other. The analysis is based on biographical source material supported by documents, interviews and academic literature emphasizing both the Finns and the Native Americans who were in contact with each other during the aforementioned era. The analysis conducted in this thesis highlights that the majority of the interaction between Finns and Native Americans took place in the wilderness, workplaces and schools. The interaction was most commonly motivated by either cooperation or bargaining. The situations of encounter were generally perceived as either positive or neutral experiences by both groups. The Finns and the Native Americans shared knowledge with each other and taught skills and techniques to one another. The Finns held some negative attitudes and prejudices towards the Native Americans during the early ages of the era under examination but along the 20th century started to represent them with either positive or neutral discourses. The Native Americans represented Finns with generally positive or neutral discourses throughout the time frame of the research. Both ethnic groups perceived similarity between themselves in ways of livelihood, cultural practices, and the style and norms of social interaction. They found difference between themselves in the practices of food preparing, time usage and transportation. The Native Americans suffered from low socioeconomic status although experiencing a minor upward shift in their social status from the 1930s onwards due to changes in the Indian policies of the United States. At first the Finns were at the bottom of the social order of North American societies but experienced a social upward shift during the early 20th century based on linguistic and cultural assimilation, even though a considerable proportion of Finns remained at an economically low position despite the overall change.