north america
(Note: Although Mennonites settled in various other areas, we will focus on the migration of those who moved from Russia to Canada to Mexico and back to Canada, as is the background of the majority of the Mennonite students we encounter in our southern Alberta schools.)
Canada
On August 1, 1874, the first group of Mennonites, about 7,000 people, arrived in the “Forks” of Winnipeg, Manitoba. Then between 1922 and 1930 a second wave of Mennonite immigrants (about 21,000 people) made their arrival. Most of them settled in southern Manitoba or Saskatchewan. For most of them the journey lasted 6 weeks. First they had to travel through western Europe, where they boarded ships to travel across the Atlantic Ocean and then through eastern Canada to Manitoba. The Canadian government promised the Mennonite people religious freedom and civil law, in addition to large plots of land on which to establish their own communities, where their culture and faith would be able to continue. The area which the Mennonites first settled in Manitoba was previously untouched by other European settlers. They broke the land and built their own communities as they were able. The Mennonites were very successful in regards to agriculture and encountered tremendously successful harvests with the wheat brought with them from Russia. In 1877, General governor Lord Dufferin visited the Mennonite settlements in Manitoba and gave a positive report. He wrote that he had seldom seen such promise of success as he had witnessed among the Mennonite settlements.
Canada
On August 1, 1874, the first group of Mennonites, about 7,000 people, arrived in the “Forks” of Winnipeg, Manitoba. Then between 1922 and 1930 a second wave of Mennonite immigrants (about 21,000 people) made their arrival. Most of them settled in southern Manitoba or Saskatchewan. For most of them the journey lasted 6 weeks. First they had to travel through western Europe, where they boarded ships to travel across the Atlantic Ocean and then through eastern Canada to Manitoba. The Canadian government promised the Mennonite people religious freedom and civil law, in addition to large plots of land on which to establish their own communities, where their culture and faith would be able to continue. The area which the Mennonites first settled in Manitoba was previously untouched by other European settlers. They broke the land and built their own communities as they were able. The Mennonites were very successful in regards to agriculture and encountered tremendously successful harvests with the wheat brought with them from Russia. In 1877, General governor Lord Dufferin visited the Mennonite settlements in Manitoba and gave a positive report. He wrote that he had seldom seen such promise of success as he had witnessed among the Mennonite settlements.
Mexico
After the Manitoba Legislative passed new laws regarding education and the requirement to teach English in all Manitoban schools in 1915, some of the Mennonite leaders began to fear a repeat of what had occurred in Russia. They felt that these laws were the beginning of their rights being diminished, and the promises made by the government only a few years before, being broken. They felt that more threats to their cultural lifestyle were sure to follow. In the eyes of many Mennonites, the loss of the German language in their schools meant the lost of their culture and faith. They believed it would bring them to slowly integrate themselves into mainstream Canadian ways of life and cause them to forget their values. As a result, delegates were sent to various south American countries, as well as Mexico. Upon their return, it was advised that they resettle in Northern Mexico. The ensuing journey was not nearly as rigorous as that across the ocean, and more important, was the contract they had made with Mexican president Alvaro Obregon. President Obregon assured the Mennonites that they would have all the rights and privileges that they insisted upon. Included therein were total religious freedom and full and independent control of their school curriculum.
Thus, between 1922 and 1926 many thousand Old Colony and Sommerfelder Mennonites left Canada and made the move to Mexico. Although some Mennonites moved to other, more southern states of Mexico, most of them ended up in Chihuahua. By 1950 approximately 16,000 Mennonites had made the move and by the 1980’s their numbers had grown to between 45,000 and 50,000. In Mexico, the people quickly built themselves villages, similar in organization to those they had in Canada and Russia. These villages are where the Mexican Mennonites still live today. Most villages have between 20 and 30 farmsteads, with their farm lands surrounding the village. Most of the Mennonites who made the move to Mexico were farmers and although some have branched out into various areas, many still continue to farm there today. They grow a lot of corn, beans, oats and various other crops. Many families also have beef or dairy cattle. Most homesteads have a large vegetable garden, a fruit orchard, and chickens, dairy cows and pigs for their own nourishment. The Mennonites have made a name for themselves throughout Mexico for their milk and cheese production.
Although some Mennonite villages have become exceptionally modern in their administration and organization, many still hold to the ideals of old, were church leaders also handle any politics and decision-making within individual villages. Most villages have their own schools. The most conservative villages elect a male teacher from the village, often with zero educational training beyond his own school experience. In these conservative schools, they learn math, reading and writing. Reading and writing are mostly taught using a simple reader called a “Fibel”, the Bible and the Catechism. There is a lot of focus on memorization and recitation, rather than critical thinking or creativity. Most children in these schools finish grade school at the age of twelve. Many then take on adult responsibilities in the home or out on the farm. Although there are many Mennonites which have been brought up in this educational system, views are slowly changing and there are also more liberal schools, which have the full twelve grades and a level of education akin to Canadian schools. These schools have multiple subjects, and do teach creativity and critical thinking. In fact, in most of these schools the core subjects are often taught in English, apart from the mandatory German and Spanish classes.
After the Manitoba Legislative passed new laws regarding education and the requirement to teach English in all Manitoban schools in 1915, some of the Mennonite leaders began to fear a repeat of what had occurred in Russia. They felt that these laws were the beginning of their rights being diminished, and the promises made by the government only a few years before, being broken. They felt that more threats to their cultural lifestyle were sure to follow. In the eyes of many Mennonites, the loss of the German language in their schools meant the lost of their culture and faith. They believed it would bring them to slowly integrate themselves into mainstream Canadian ways of life and cause them to forget their values. As a result, delegates were sent to various south American countries, as well as Mexico. Upon their return, it was advised that they resettle in Northern Mexico. The ensuing journey was not nearly as rigorous as that across the ocean, and more important, was the contract they had made with Mexican president Alvaro Obregon. President Obregon assured the Mennonites that they would have all the rights and privileges that they insisted upon. Included therein were total religious freedom and full and independent control of their school curriculum.
Thus, between 1922 and 1926 many thousand Old Colony and Sommerfelder Mennonites left Canada and made the move to Mexico. Although some Mennonites moved to other, more southern states of Mexico, most of them ended up in Chihuahua. By 1950 approximately 16,000 Mennonites had made the move and by the 1980’s their numbers had grown to between 45,000 and 50,000. In Mexico, the people quickly built themselves villages, similar in organization to those they had in Canada and Russia. These villages are where the Mexican Mennonites still live today. Most villages have between 20 and 30 farmsteads, with their farm lands surrounding the village. Most of the Mennonites who made the move to Mexico were farmers and although some have branched out into various areas, many still continue to farm there today. They grow a lot of corn, beans, oats and various other crops. Many families also have beef or dairy cattle. Most homesteads have a large vegetable garden, a fruit orchard, and chickens, dairy cows and pigs for their own nourishment. The Mennonites have made a name for themselves throughout Mexico for their milk and cheese production.
Although some Mennonite villages have become exceptionally modern in their administration and organization, many still hold to the ideals of old, were church leaders also handle any politics and decision-making within individual villages. Most villages have their own schools. The most conservative villages elect a male teacher from the village, often with zero educational training beyond his own school experience. In these conservative schools, they learn math, reading and writing. Reading and writing are mostly taught using a simple reader called a “Fibel”, the Bible and the Catechism. There is a lot of focus on memorization and recitation, rather than critical thinking or creativity. Most children in these schools finish grade school at the age of twelve. Many then take on adult responsibilities in the home or out on the farm. Although there are many Mennonites which have been brought up in this educational system, views are slowly changing and there are also more liberal schools, which have the full twelve grades and a level of education akin to Canadian schools. These schools have multiple subjects, and do teach creativity and critical thinking. In fact, in most of these schools the core subjects are often taught in English, apart from the mandatory German and Spanish classes.
Canada
Starting at about the 1950’s, a number of Mennonite families began to trickle back to Canada, into the United States and to South American countries such as Paraguay, Bolivia, Argentina and Belize. Many young couples felt they had no future in Mexico, so with the hopes and dreams of success in another country, many packed up and relocated. There are fewer and fewer opportunities of advancement for the Mennonites who have very little land in Mexico, and so the emigration continues. Today there are an estimated 57, 000 Mennonites in Canada, with 12,000-15,000 Mennonites living in Alberta (Janzen, W. Welcoming the returning ‘Kanadier’ Mennonites from Mexico. Journal of Mennonite Studies, 2004, 22:11-22).
Starting at about the 1950’s, a number of Mennonite families began to trickle back to Canada, into the United States and to South American countries such as Paraguay, Bolivia, Argentina and Belize. Many young couples felt they had no future in Mexico, so with the hopes and dreams of success in another country, many packed up and relocated. There are fewer and fewer opportunities of advancement for the Mennonites who have very little land in Mexico, and so the emigration continues. Today there are an estimated 57, 000 Mennonites in Canada, with 12,000-15,000 Mennonites living in Alberta (Janzen, W. Welcoming the returning ‘Kanadier’ Mennonites from Mexico. Journal of Mennonite Studies, 2004, 22:11-22).
Resources:
Reuben Epp, The Story of Low German & Plautdietsch (Hillsboro, KS: The Reader's Press, 1993), 84, 85.
Cornelius J. Dyck, An Introduction to Mennonite History (Scottdale, Pennsylvania: Herald Press, 1993), 186, 208, 322
Adina Reger & Delbert Plett Q. C., Diese Steine: Die Russlandmennoniten (Steinback, MB: Crossway Publications Inc, 2001), 537.
Janzen, W. Welcoming the returning ‘Kanadier’ Mennonites from Mexico. Journal of Mennonite Studies, 2004, 22:11-22
Photos retrieved from:
http://darrenenns.no-ip.org:8000/dmenns/genealogy.html
http://geo-mexico.com/?p=1470
Reuben Epp, The Story of Low German & Plautdietsch (Hillsboro, KS: The Reader's Press, 1993), 84, 85.
Cornelius J. Dyck, An Introduction to Mennonite History (Scottdale, Pennsylvania: Herald Press, 1993), 186, 208, 322
Adina Reger & Delbert Plett Q. C., Diese Steine: Die Russlandmennoniten (Steinback, MB: Crossway Publications Inc, 2001), 537.
Janzen, W. Welcoming the returning ‘Kanadier’ Mennonites from Mexico. Journal of Mennonite Studies, 2004, 22:11-22
Photos retrieved from:
http://darrenenns.no-ip.org:8000/dmenns/genealogy.html
http://geo-mexico.com/?p=1470