How my Mennonite Heritage is Connected to 5 Different Cultures

When I get asked where I'm from, it becomes confusing. Things like why do you have a slight Canadian accent? You speak 5 languages, but you don’t speak French?! What’s Plautdietsch? Mennonites? Why didn’t you grow up with long dresses and head coverings? 

You see, it didn’t all start with me. Just like you were influenced by the values and heritage of your family, I am the product of multiple generations of Mennonites from Europe. 

It all started during a time in history called the Reformation. You’ve probably heard of Martin Luther, a monk, who created 95 theses that highly contradicted the spiritual teachings of the time. If you google the Reformation, you’ll find more information on that. 

Well, during the same era, there were changes happening all over Europe. Various spiritual leaders were stepping out and following their convictions. Even though Luther had paved the way to following your own convictions, his group wasn’t so keen on having other ideas spring up. In fact serious persecution broke out against a group that was taking a stand against infant baptism. These were the Anabaptists.

The idea of not performing infant baptism and moving to adult baptism based on conviction of belief was not acceptable. People following these teachings had to flee their homes and find places elsewhere to live.

 A safe haven at the time was the region of modern day Holland or the Netherlands in the 16th century. People from all parts of Europe gathered in this place to find peace and rest. However this sense of peace was soon to be stirred up again when a dutch priest, Menno Simon, stepped out of the Catholic church and became the leader of a group of people whose followers were called the Mennonites.

Europe

This is where the story of my ancestors begins. My dad’s family name comes from the region of modern day Switzerland, and my mom’s maiden name is still a common name in the Netherlands. Fast forward, several hundred years, as it would with any large people group, there were divisions among the Mennonites. Some of these separations happened due to migration. Mennonites were predominantly farmers, and they had large families. Through the years, the area known as the Netherlands at the time could not provide the land necessary for the next generation to thrive. Groups of Mennonites moved to Prussia (modern day Poland) to help develop the Vistula Delta region.

PRUSSIAN

The Mennonites were known to be great land developers as they had been an integral part in redeeming land from the sea in Holland. When it was time to seek residents in other countries, this would be the card that would grant them invitations to new lands. However, one of the premises of the Mennonite conviction is that they will not bear arms; they are pacifists. This belief collided with the ideals of military Prussia. As time went by, it became harder to live under this military regime, and a large group of Mennonites moved on to start their new home, where?! In the swamps of the Ukraine!!

SLAVIC

Katherine the Great was a German-born empress of Russia in 1762. She was the connection that invited large groups of European farmers to the region of the Ukraine to help develop and teach modern day farming practices. Among these people were a large group of Mennonites. They left the familiar and moved to a place that was very different from what they had called home. My heritage and cultural practices of today still clearly reflect the years my ancestors lived in this slavic region of the Ukraine and Russia.

The 100 years of the Mennonites living and moving in the region came to a sudden halt when the Tsars were overthrown and a new regime under Stalin took over the land. Many people began to emigrate to other parts of the world. As the times under Stalin became more restricted, the freedom to leave was abruptly stopped when the trains headed to Europe where turned around and sent to Siberia. My great Grandma was on one of those trains.

CANADIAN - PARAGUAYAN

Some of the family made it out and ended up in Paraguay, South America.  A little settlement called Filadelfia was founded, and my grandparents as newlyweds were a part of establishing a home that was once again very different from where they came from. We say that history repeats itself; my heritage can attest to that. Many hardships and heart aches came along with this part of the story, and when the opportunity came to emigrate to Canada, my family jumped on the bandwagon.

If someone asks me where I’m from, I have a hard time giving a short answer. Thank you for taking them time to hear me out, and learn more about my background and history. I experienced my family’s heritage somewhat in reverse when my parents decided to move to Paraguay during my 5th grade school year. Later on as an adult, I spent some extended time in Russia. These transitions were extremely challenging for me, but through these experiences, I learned and practiced the cultures and languages that my great, great grandparents depended on.

What is your heritage, and how has history impacted where you are today? I would love to hear from you!!