I am not a Finn (Norsk/Dane) and not from Keewenaw (although my great grandfather captained a steamship on the lakes and my grandmother was from St. Ignace) and the recipe comes from a good friend from Marquette of doubtful heritage (something about family in Philadelphia), but it is as authentic as they come. Except for no rutabagas.
Here is the official pasty recipe from Joe Finck, born and raised in Marquette, son of a Soo Lines engineer. My copy of his recipe, made more than 15 years ago, still lives in my wallet (a bit tattered with age) where "all true Yoopers keep their copy for emergencies".
Sift flour and salt, and cut in Crisco as for pie crust. Add water and blend with a fork until it holds together. Shape into a ball. (can chill it here till ready to use) Divide into 6 pieces. Roll each on a floured board and then add the filling. Seal the edges with water. (different cooks use different styles here, he folds his rather than pinching the edges, remember to slit the top) Flute the edges and then bake on a greased tin for 12-15 min at 400 and then 30-45 min at 375.
Mix all together thoroughly. Divide into 6 servings, about a cup each. Add a tsp [meaning a spoon-sized pat] of Butter on top of each before covering with the dough. Seal edges and slit the top for steam. (Bake at 375 until potatoes done.)
Comments: Notice that this is a rutabaga-free recipe. Joe detests bagas. Also, the "art of the practitioner" meant that we usually added some garlic powder and sometimes oregano to the filling. The real key is in making the dough correctly. The amount of water depends on your flour and the local humidity (high in Florida). I preserved the exact recipe above by putting other comments in [brackets]. Note that the correct baking time/temp is the first set given; this recipe is recorded on two sides of a small piece of notepaper with the general cooking info duplicated on the filling side. Finally, the other real key is in how carefully you cube the meat and potatoes. Nice, small, uniform cubes are the key to a gourmet experience. Serve with catsup and beer.
Heartsmart: Now that Joe has changed his diet (and quit smoking) after suffering a heart attack, the recipe has been modified to use very lean cuts of meat and no butter and little salt -- other spices are substituted.