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Sometimes we talk about "Finn-dians." That's just a joke. That's the way we pointed out to them that the way they acted, the way they lived, was getting to be like the Indians. The Indians are thinking, "All these 'Finn-dians' showed that they want to be like an Indian." That's why I call them, and everybody else called them -- somebody, you know, some of these people, in spots, would call them -- "Finn-dians." The Finns are the next people following behind Indians.(66) And they dress like Indians, with bands around their heads. Well, that proves that they like the style of America. They were very interested in this country and interested in getting along with the Indians. But they do better work than the Indian because they're working all the time. I told the Finns in the early days, "I think you'll have power later on to do things in the best way, in your free way of doing things. I kind of feel that you're shyed(67) because you feel you're in a bunch and that the Indian might kick on you."
"Ah un."
"The Indians don't want to bother you. You always had a good place, a nice place, with everything you wanted -- a garden crop, chickens, and anything."
I don't think we ever had trouble with Finns. They were very much like Indians. They love the Indian way of life. A lot of them told me, "We heard in our country that you need help, and we come to help you. If any Congressmen goes against your resolutions we're going to shove resolutions in our council to adjust that. You and I will work together, as a person. So that's why we're here. You, you can't help it that you weren't educated. But we have a little experience and maybe we can help."
They still help me to this day. They tell me, "I'm going to help you. You're getting to be an old man, grandpa. Anybody that bothers you gets us mad, Old Indian."(68)
"No, I never get in trouble."
I'm satisfied the way they showed us how to live, as a friend. They used to use knives in fighting years ago. But they're more satisfied now. They're more . . . I don't know . . . they're more . . . I think they'd like to figure on the next day to live with their wives and with their kids. So now when there is trouble going on they walk out. That's the best. Yep. They would walk out -- in later times.
They don't bother us. We don't bother them.
I think they're nice people to get along with. I think we got along with Finns. I still have some old Finn friends. Go ask any of them, "You know Buffalo?"
"Why is he still kicking?"
"Yea."
I'm going on seventy-six years old. I'm busy all the time. I never stay home. Some days I take off to go the seven miles to Ball Club. I never have to walk because somebody always gives me a ride. First thing they do when they see me on the road is stop, because I'm well-known too much. They are always ready to give us a hand. They're nice hard-working people.
They were working on the farm a lot, especially afterwards when they got a team of horses. In my earlier days, before my Mom married Jack Nason,(45) we didn't have working horses, and we only saw one here and there. {XXXREM check this with the wild horse chapter.} But one time, before I left for the Tower Minnesota School,(46) I saw an old Finn going in to see my grandfather at Bena.(47) He said to us, "I've got a team of ponies over there. Go get them. I'll leave the harness on. Go get them and haul yourself wood. You don't have to go far from here for wood. Instead of packing it in by straps,(48) use that team. Uh uh, you don't have to use those straps anymore."
"Well, how much you gonna charge us?" my folks asked.
"Nahthing. You just come and use them like they were your horses."
"Ya, I'll feed 'em and give 'em plenty of water."
"As long as they're not abused, you can use them."
"OK."
Yep, the Finns helped us lots like that, right from the beginning.
We call these Finns Mah-du-du, Ma-du-duu wI-nI-nii. Ma-du-duu is "a sweatbath." Ma-du-duu wI-nI-nii, that's "a sweatbath man." That means, "The-people-that-use-sweatbaths, steambaths, a man." Ma-du-duu wI-nI-nii, or wah-du-wI-nI-nay, that's "sauna men." And that's the Finns.
A Norwegian says, muk-ah-kii. "Frog." Well, the Indian uses that too. You know, when they get together, the Finns sound just like a bunch of frogs. You couldn't understand them, "la-dada-peli-labla wii-hIss wiwi awa wa."(2) Muk-ah-kii means frog. Indians and Norwegians call the Finns frogs because they don't listen to one another. They could all talk at the same time and still know what they're talking about because that language is so simple for them. They could talk, and listen to this other guy at the same time. The Finns sound like they could be a bullfrog: "Wii-y-sla-boa." Oh gosh! It's nice to listen to them. We don't make fun of them, but we imagine what they sound like . . . and that's frogs!
The Finlanders know we don't make fun of them. Finns have more fun too, just like an Indian. See, an Indian laughs too. They laugh. The Finns often invited us in for a visit. They invited us to sauna too. Why sure!! I stopped in there. I was right with them. Sure. We had a lot of fun. I was young then, I'll tell you. We had coffee with them. You bet! They made good coffee too. I learned part of Finnish, at that time. We said a lot of things together, and they said a lot of things in Indian too. We'd laugh at one another. We used to have a lot of fun.
