U Talk Features: Diasporas in Canada and Manitoba

Diaspora is a scattered population whose origin lies in a separate geographic locale. There are many reasons why one might leave their home country, but scholars recognize two kinds of diaspora: forced and voluntary. Whatever reason a person may leave their homeland, each has a story, and for some, there are many shared experiences between different diasporas. 

Today we'll take a moment to learn about Diasporas. First is a podcast that tells individuals' stories and their journeys from home. Then let's delve into the migration of the Mennonites with the Mennonite Heritage Archives. 

Diaspora is a term used to describe populations of people whose origin lies in a separate geographic locale. A mass exodus of people from their indigenous origins. Diaspora tells everyone who leaves their homeland through war, famine, geological disaster, or a search for new opportunities.

A new podcast by the Toronto-based Zoryan Institute is taking a deep dive into the stories of diaspora and their diverse and shared experiences of living away from, and returning to, their homelands. The 6 episode series connects with people who had to leave their homes and tells their stories in a format readily available and understandable to all audiences.

"We would talk about these things in the office[genocide, human rights, diaspora homeland relations], and one day we were thinking, wouldn't it be great if we were able to share this on a broader platform," says Dispersion Podcast Host Jen Haddow. "These issues are not things of the past. They are very much in our future and our lives these days."

According to a 2016 Census of Agriculture, the total farm area in Manitoba decreased 2.1% between 2011 and 2016 to 17.6 million acres. Manitoba had 11.1% of the total farm area in Canada in 2016. Average farm size continued to rise in Manitoba to 1,192 acres in 2016, up to 1,135 acres in 2011. However, Manitoba hasn't always been that way. Before colonization Manitoba was home to the Anishinaabe, Cree, Oji-Cree, Dakota, Dene and, once French settlers arrived, the Metis people. It's only been in recent history that we've seen the province take on its agricultural form. 

In a paper written by Morris Deveson, the first recorded agricultural immigrants in Manitoba were the Selkirk Settlers, also known as the Red River Settlers. They arrived in 1812 and settled near the Forks. Over time, along with significant promises and incentives from the Canadian  Government, more settlers immigrated to the prairies. One of those groups was the Mennonites. The Privilegium of 1873 was an invitation from the Dominion of Canada inviting Mennonites to settle in Manitoba with promises of land, aid in their settlement, and most importantly, to Mennonites exemption from military and control over their own schools. 

To learn more about the Mennonites, you have to venture to the Canadian Mennonite University, where you'll find the Mennonite Heritage Archives  (MHA). Conrad Stoesz is an archivist at the MHA who works with documents such as the Privilegium of 1873. A Mennonite and with a love for knowledge, Stoesz understands and appreciates the importance of chronicling history, as it can all too easily be lost.