Word Origins: Sisu
by Phillip Koski, AIA, AIA Minnesota President
If you’ve spent anytime living in or around Minnesota’s Iron Range, you probably know that Koski is a solid and pretty ordinary Finnish surname. You would also know then how to pronounce ‘sauna’ properly (that -au- pairing is a diphthong, not a suggestion) and would have heard about the Finnish cultural concept of ‘sisu’. Lacking any direct equivalent in English, sisu is considered by Finns to reflect their national character, and per Wikipedia is “…variously translated as stoic determination, tenacity of purpose, grit, bravery, resilience, and hardiness.” Sisu (related to the Finnish word for ‘guts’) was coined roughly at the same time Finland declared its independence from Russia in 1917. It was later cemented in the national psyche following the 1939-1940 Winter War when the tiny Finnish military and volunteer patrols held back (mostly) an invasion by the Soviet Union’s titanic Red Army.
Over these last two months I’ve seen nearly daily displays of sisu in the news and social media as neighbors in the Twin Cities and across the state gathered peacefully in sub-zero temperatures to exercise their constitutional rights to speak out, protest, observe, protect our schools, and help families afraid to leave their homes. Even as events unfolded that would paralyze most communities, I saw people double down and continue to invest in the future and to insist we have joy despite hardship. Heading back to class at the University of Minnesota and Dunwoody. Making art on frozen lakes. Submitting genius ideas for the Ralph Rapson Traveling Study Award. Playing pond hockey. Volunteering with the Search for Shelter design charette. Celebrating excellence with the Minneapolis Preservation Awards. Caucusing. Opening up the legislature.
And for ten of us representing AIA Minnesota and our local chapters, we spent four days in Washington D.C. joining 600 other component leaders across the country to bring our collective voice to Capitol Hill. For the Minnesota contingent, we also delivered the personal messages you shared with us about your lived experience these last two months directly to our members of congress. Looking ahead, in the next month the Lake Superior Design Retreat will take place in Duluth for the 38th time. The Minnesota Architectural Foundation will kick off a fundraising campaign to bolster the Beverly Hauschild-Baron Leadership Fund. Work will start designing our new offices at Riverplace. And our tireless AIA Minnesota staff who have been heads-down building and loading content since the new year will roll out a retooled website.
Sisu is both an individual and a collective trait that emphasizes competence and purpose in the face of adversity. It means we don’t stop doing the important things and the happy things just because there are challenges placed in front of us. It means we keep moving forward because we value the good things more than the obstacles. Let’s keep going. Sisua!