Low German speaking Mennonites who have come to Ontario from Latin America are a part of a rich religious tradition with a long history. The formal aspects of religious life are expressed in church activities, but the very fabric of daily colony life is religious as well.
Low German-speaking Mennonites who have come to Ontario from Latin America are a part of a rich religious tradition with a long history. The formal aspects of religious life are expressed in church activities, but the very fabric of daily colony life is religious as well.
Cultural Context
The experience of many mass migrations in combination with living in a colony has created a unique culture for the Low German-speaking population. The colonized Low German-speaking Mennonite community is characterized by a deep respect for tradition and an expectation that its members will live in accordance with that tradition. The basis of this respect is a desire to remain separate from, and different than, society around them. This is evidenced in the frequent mass migrations to flee unfavourable conditions over the past five hundred years. This community’s primary allegiance is to God, not to the political, economic and social systems that govern the countries in which they live (Loewen, 2016).
Tradition and a desire to remain separate
Sharp differences also developed among the Mennonites as to what it meant to be separate and distinct. Some were convinced that the only way to survive would be to adopt modern technology to make agriculture more viable. Others were equally firmly committed to a belief that such accommodation undermined the very reason for their existence, that is, to be separate from the world.
How to remain separate from the world is an ongoing question for many Mennonite groups, not just those in Latin America.
Distinctive dress is a visible reminder to both themselves and the world around them that they do not share the values and the lifestyle of society around them. It should be noted, however, that when they wear traditional dress in Ontario, it does not necessarily mean that they are attending an Old Colony church.
The Old Colony Mennonite Church is characterized by a deep respect for tradition and an expectation that its members will live in accordance with that tradition. The basis of this respect is a desire to remain separate from and different than society around them. The Old Colony Mennonites’ primary allegiance is to God, they believe, and not to the political, economic and social systems that govern the countries in which they live. Tradition—often expressed by the phrase “We wish to do as we were taught”—is the vehicle Old Colony Mennonites use to ensure that this separateness is maintained.
I am an Old Colony Mennonite. My church teaches me that it is important to be there for my fellow Mennonite brothers and sisters and also that the Bible teaches me to remain separate from the world. One other foundational belief that I have is that my faith must be lived out in my everyday life.
This is why I choose to live a lifestyle that is different from those around me and why I am sometimes wary of a lifestyle that is seemingly associated with worldly ideals.
Not All Colonies Are the Same
When Mennonites migrate to Ontario from Mexico and other parts of Latin America, they leave behind a fundamentally different way of living. For Low German-speaking Mennonites, the heart of religious life for colony Mennonites is a commitment to be separate from the society around them and to live distinct lives. Colonies are, to a large extent, homogeneous in terms of the population (Loewen, 2016). Only Mennonites are allowed to own property on a colony, and very few outsiders live on a colony. A high degree of uniformity is maintained on a colony. For example, fashion for both men and women is prescribed, the interior of houses are decorated in similar ways and daily and weekly routines are similar from home to home. Traditionally, the family is an economic unit, with responsibilities often divided along gendered lines. Women and girls attend to the domestic side of family life, and men and boys take responsibility for the hard physical labour of farm life and the public aspects of farming and business dealings (Loewen, 2016).
Many colonies in Latin America include manufacturing businesses, often related to the agricultural sector.
Within their shared commitment to tradition and separateness, there is, nevertheless, tremendous variation between different Old Colony groups in Latin America.
At one end of the spectrum are colonies for whom being separate means rejecting aspects of modern life such as state-supplied electricity and using animal-drawn vehicles for transportation. Other colonies have loosened many of the prohibitions. The dress code is relaxed, vehicles are permitted and colony members are not required to support themselves only through agriculture but are permitted to engage in business.
