On consecutive evenings in southern Manitoba, the documentary "The Mennonites in Manitoba" was screened at the end of September. Then in October it was shown on Prairie Public Television.
I went to the screening in Winnipeg at Jubilee Place. An audience of between 250-300 people were in attendance. The principals of the production and the management of Prairie Public TV were represented.
The theme of the documentary was to celebrate the history and culture of the Mennonite people in Manitoba. It traced the history from the coming of the first Mennonite settlers in 1874 to the present. In doing so it attempted to speak to the sense of identity the Mennonites have and have had in their history in Manitoba.
The first seventy-five years were well portrayed. It was a period of overcoming pioneering obstacles, learning about a new context for being, and continuing to form sub-groups on points of theological differences, perceived or real. This story is becoming increasingly documented and retold from generation to generation. The story after the World War II was not so well told. It is a period of diversification, urbanization, and assimilation. It needs much more work to tell this story and document it. This documentary only succeeded in making a beginning of the telling.
The interview approach to telling the story in this documentary was effective - to a certain degree. The individuals interviewed came from various walks of the Mennonite world but unfortunately they were not very representative. First, they came primarily from one generation - the middle-aged generation. The older generation of our senior citizens and the younger generation of students and young adults beginning their life journey views were larger unrepresented. Therefore the story was very biased in one perspective of one generation, albeit from various walks of life.
In exploring the sense of identity, the documentary tackled the central issue of whether Mennonites were an ethnic or religious group. Again, it would have made
the answer more complete if a broader spectrum of views would have been aired. Since this is such a central issue, I would have liked to have seen a greater exploration of the ethnic question seen in the context of the broader Manitoba society. On the religious side, I would have liked to have seen a greater discussion of the central tenets of Anabaptism-Mennonite theology, what those tenets are and why they are adhered to so strongly. Brief mention was made about the effect on immigration and emigration, and the formation of sub-groups, but not enough about the central tenets. They are what make us Mennonites and why anyone can become a Mennonite. It mentioned that Mennonites have become a diverse people but it did not get a perspective from these people of different ethnic and cultural backgrounds.
"The Mennonites in Manitoba" will be a useful tool and reminder of who Mennonites are. It will hopefully spur us on to tell more of our story and explore in greater depth who were are as a people and as individuals. Prairie Public has made a memorable documentary. It is well worth viewing.
One Hundreed Years..and More
Belated birthday greetings to Eva Klippenstein and Gertrude Hildebrand, both of Altona, Manitoba. Eva, originally from Neubergthal village, celebrated her 100th birthday at the Personal Care Home on September 19. She was the winner of a beautiful blue Ford car at the first Sunflower Festival held in Altona in 1965. She drove it till she was 82. It is now owned by her daughter, Kay. Eva's husband, Peter, passed away in 1954, leaving her and her son Bill to run the farm with the help of a hired hand.
Gertrude, originally from the village of Sommerfeld, a few miles east of Neubergthal, celebrated her 101st birthday at the Ebenezer Home on September 20. She was the thirteenth child in the Abram and Helena Wiebe family of 16 children. She recalls the sadness of the family when they heard of the sinking of the Titanic in 1912. Her husband, Jacob, passed away in 1980 and three of her sons died after 1983. She attributes her long life, she said in Low German, to "healthy living, a love of the Lord, and lots of laughter".
Photos and information courtesy of Red River Valley Echo, Altona, MB.
Membership and Publicity Committee Report
This committee is responsible for among other things the publication of this Newsletter. It has discussed some plans for this Newsletter for the coming year. It is hoped to produce it quarterly. The editors will remain, namely Lawrence Klippenstein and Bert Friesen. They welcome any submissions for consideration for publication. Also, there has been some discussion about the Society's contract to buy subscriptions to the Mennonite Historian for its members. Opinions on any of these or other matters are welcomed. Please contact us as indicated on our masthead.