Niilo Koponen (1928-2013) moves on

Finnish-American social justice activist, Niilo Koponen, has passed on at Fairbanks, Alaska.  The news came to us via the front page of New World Finn, a substantial quarterly newspaper to which we've long subbed. (I personally have no Finnish ancestry but Eldri, my good spouse of more than 52 years, certainly does -- along with Saami and Scandinavian lines.)

We got to know Niilo in a couple of ways.  One was via Internet discussion groups and the other from mutual friends of ours, formerly from North Dakota, and then at Fairbanks.  The term Renaissance Man would cover Niilo -- a long time Socialist (and, I think, DSA member) and a vigorous lifetime supporter of labor unionism.  He also did a whole lot of other good things in his colorful career.  We became good friends with Niilo who sent us clippings and other materials on Alaskan Native and labor matters, and also appropriate books.   I couldn't find New World Finn on the Net but here is a pretty full bio of Niilo from the News Miner:  http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/newsminer/obituary.aspx?n=niilo-emil-koponen&pid=168346959

Niilo was never a man to rest at ease very long -- and he always Kept Fighting.  I'm sure, wherever he is, he's a very busy guy.

I have a very long website page on Finns and Finnish Americans -- with an emphasis on social justice radicalism:
http://www.hunterbear.org/reflections_on_finns_and_finnish.htm

In Solidarity,

Hunter Bear

HUNTER GRAY [HUNTER BEAR/JOHN R SALTER JR] Mi'kmaq / 
St. Francis Abenaki / St. Regis Mohawk 
Member, National Writers Union AFL-CIO

Check out our massive social justice website
www.hunterbear.org  The site is dedicated to our
one-half Bobcat, Cloudy Gray, and to Sky Gray:
http://hunterbear.org/cloudy_gray.htm

SHOOTING LUPUS --  Driving this oft-lethal deadly 
disease of mine back into its genetic cave and into
impotency in an eight year war:
http://hunterbear.org/shooting_lupus.htm

See our very full COMMUNITY ORGANIZING
page -- with a great deal of practical material:
http://hunterbear.org/my_combined_community_organizing.htm

See my  new expanded/updated "Organizer's Book," 
JACKSON MISSISSIPPI -- with a new 10,000 word
introduction by me. This page lists many reviews.
And this book is also an activist's how-to manual: 
 http://hunterbear.org/jackson.htm   

The Stormy Adoption of an Indian Child [My Father]:
http://hunterbear.org/James%20and%20Salter%20and%20Dad.htm:
(Photos)