Survival pieces

Mennonites, trauma, and musical family histories

Abstract

We write this reflection as a mother-daughter duo, descendants of Russian Mennonite refugees to Canada following World War II. We are keenly aware of the intergenerational trauma that stems from our family’s history of religious persecution, forced displacement, and immense loss. Though this is our story, it is only one of countless stories of Mennonite trauma and migration throughout history, around the world, and across racial and ethnic lines. Our story is one of many contexts where music has been a survival piece for Mennonites. As we reflect on the role of heart songs—in this case, beloved songs that have ties to our family history—we recognize the ways we continue to use our voices and bodies to identify with our family history. In this short reflection, we consider our family’s adoption and use of the hymn “So Nimm Denn Meine Hände,” revealing the specific nuances of our family’s music history. What do individual family musical histories reveal about Mennonite music, beyond oversimplified narratives and stereotypes of “Mennonite music”? How does our family’s story of trauma become embodied when we sing heart songs like “So Nimm Denn Meine Hände?” We invite others to consider what Mennonite music means to them based on their family’s musical lineage, whether their family history includes five hundred years of alignment with Anabaptism, or whether they are the first to explore it.