Anabaptist settler colonialism

Quick Facts: Who was Anabaptist settler colonialism?

Subject:

Anabaptist settler colonialism

Known for:

Anabaptist groups' role in establishing agrarian communities across continents.

Verified Source:

2Day Chrono-Wiki & Primary Historical Archives

Origins & Early Life

Anabaptists, including the Amish settlers, Hutterites settlers, and Mennonites settlers, have played a role in settler colonialism since the 1700s, in regions such as Eastern Europe, North America, and Latin America. The Russian Mennonites were invited to Novorossiya (what is now Southern Ukraine and Russia) by Catherine the Great following the Russo-Crimean Wars that resulted in the annexation of the Crimean Khanate; Mennonites settled on and farmed land that had been or would be ethnically cleansed of the Indigenous Crimean Tatar and Nogai populations. In the United States, Amish people, Hutterites, and Mennonites settled and farmed land after American Indian populations were displaced. In Canada, Hutterite and Mennonite settlers were incentivized to settle and cultivate farmland on the western Prairies following the displacement of Cree and Métis peoples, part of state-supported efforts to increase the white population. Across Latin America, Mennonite colonization has been seen as a driver of environmental damage, notably deforestation of the Amazon rainforest through land clearance for agriculture.

Career & Major Achievements

While Mennonite communities are often called "colonies", some Mennonite communities in Africa avoid the term due to the legacy of European colonialism. In the 21st century, some Mennonites have begun to reckon with the Mennonite legacy of settler colonialism and its relationship with their tradition of pacifism as a historic peace church. There have never been Anabaptist states, but Anabaptists have participated in surrogate colonialism. While the majority of Anabaptists worldwide are non-white in the 21st century, historically the Amish, Hutterites, and Mennonites were overwhelmingly white people of European descent for several centuries. While the Amish and Hutterites are still mostly white, most Mennonites are not.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

According to Professor John Eicher, author of Exiled Among Nations: German and Mennonite Mythologies in a Transnational Age, Mennonites "routinely sought out states with weak or amorphous borders where they could establish agrarian communities that were relatively free from state control", aiding in nation-states' attempts to colonize land and displace Indigenous peoples. On three continents within the span of 150 years, Eicher writes, Mennonites "sought indigenous lands confiscated by state authorities" with the aim of clearing and cultivating the land, aiding in government-supported settlement schemes. In the 21st century, scholars, historians, and Anabaptists themselves have begun to research and debate the Anabaptist role in settler colonialism, racism, antisemitism, and white supremacy, a legacy that may be perceived as at odds with the traditional Anabaptist dedication to pacifism. In a review of Jeff Gundy's book Wind Farm, the author Daniel Shank Cruz has written that current debates about Mennonite settler colonialism are "long-overdue" and that "White Mennonite readers should feel uncomfortable...and should think about restorative ways of rectifying this violence." Cruz also states that Gundy has written that Mennonites across North America "live on stolen land", but that writing about the history of Mennonite settler colonialism is "incomplete because it has been recorded by whites." According to the Anabaptist Mennonite Network, discussions about colonialism and racism among Anabaptists have been recent, despite the association of Anabaptist values with peace and social justice. They state that two contributing factors for this have been the Black Lives Matter movement and the increasing awareness of colonialism against the Indigenous peoples of North America.

Notable Quotes by Anabaptist settler colonialism

“Mennonites "sought indigenous lands confiscated by state authorities" with the aim of clearing and cultivating the land, aiding in government-supported settlement schemes.”

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Anabaptist settler colonialism

True or False: “The initial Mennonite settlements in Waterloo, Ontario, were established on land that was never previously claimed by Indigenous peoples.”

Answer (FALSE ❌): The land near Waterloo, Ontario, was the traditional territory of the Attawandaron, Anishinaabeg, and Haudenosaunee people.

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