The Indians in Paraguay

In case you were asking, I'm almost finished with my history posts! An interesting part in the whole puzzle I've put together, is that my grandmother (as a 16 year old) was on the same ship going to South America as another 13 year old girl who is now my mother-in-law! They knew each other and - if you know anything about Mennonites - you know how they like to connect everyone. (You'd think they invented facebook! ) Imagine when these ladies found out (some 45 years later) 'who was dating who' . . . here in Canada. Of course, we had no idea of the history involved. It's my sentimental side that thinks about these things now.
This next entry tells about an aspect of the Chaco life gleaned mostly from my mother-in-law. I've enjoyed her stories and found some interesting humor in them.

The Indians living in the Chaco came to the colonists with hospitality and curiosity. Despite the fact that the Mennonites were “overdressed” and did strange things such as dividing up the land, they were willing to help them in any way they could. They showed them how to make grass roofs, which trees to use for lumber, how to brew an anti-malarial medication, how to treat snake bites and warned them when danger was lurking. Of course, they were rewarded with food and clothing.

The Mennonites tried to learn their language, but the Indians learned Low German faster and even began taking the names of the Mennonites for themselves, names such as Jash (Jacob), Hein (Henry) and Marie (emphasis on the latter syllable).

I have had to come to the conclusion that my mother-in-law really had a way of relating to the Indians. She told me about some of her experiences with some of their “farm help” Indians. One evening the family had left the house to go to prayer meeting when, upon their return, she found that one of the loaves of bread that she had baked that day was missing. The following day the Indian returned and sheepishly said, “Mina Stehle” (spoken as a toddler learning to speak – “my stealing”). He said that he would not do this again.

Another day one came to her and sold her a rope. He also told her that he was getting baptized that weekend. Later on she couldn’t find the rope, and she found out from another member of the Indian’s family that he had sold it to another family. On Monday morning this Indian came to her and sat down very dejectedly. Mom asked him if he got baptized, and he told her that he had stolen from her and they had not baptized him because he had to make this right first.

When they would come to her and ask for food, she gladly gave them food, but they had to do some work, like chopping wood, first. Sometimes she gave them clothing. One time she gave one of the women a bra, and wouldn’t you know it, the next thing, Mom’s kids came home howling with laughter because they had seen their Indian woman shopping at the Co-cop, wearing the bra and no blouse. The Indians loved the ties that the Mennonite men wore, and when they received one, they would proudly wear them on their bare chests.

I think about these interesting relationships - where people of such different cultures needed each other and I just have to marvel. Cross Cultural training by immersion - while we take university classes in order to attempt this today.
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