Sun and Water by Rachael Traeholt

ne Äwaschwaminj

Spring 2013 followed a drought in 2012 with small floods along the legacy Mennonite territories from Chinook and Lustre - Volt, Montana along the Montana - Saskatchewan border, to the Souris River Valley between Walhalla, North Dakota and Winkler and Gretna, Manitoba, north to the great rivers feeding into Winnipeg's historic Forks.

The following are additional photographs from unusually heavy rains the second to last week of May, 2013 (all photos (c) Rachael Traeholt, 2013).

Movies from Lustre Mennonite

en fe'flucht hoot

Micah Rauch grew up in the Lustre Mennonite community in northeast Montana.  He states that this is his first animated film:

Enjoy!

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Signs of Spring!

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Rachael Traeholt of Lustre, Montana, shares a sure sign of spring in the northern plains... snow melt flooding ditches and roads.  While these localized floods can make travel dangerous and difficult, the ponds and small lakes formed by the run-off enable new generations of prairie amphibians, water fowl and insects to re-establish themselves.  Soon dusky evenings will be filled with the throaty calls of frogs, the chirps of young insects and the sentry calls of Red-winged Blackbirds, Killdeer and Western Meadowlarks.  Shortly, one might even begin noticing the Mennonites and their neighbors of Lustre - Volt out in their farmyards readying equipment for the spring planting.  Spring is here!

Flooding over Lustre Road, Lustre, Montana, (c) Rachael Traeholt, 2013.

Flooding over Lustre Road, Lustre, Montana, (c) Rachael Traeholt, 2013.

Flooding over Lustre Road, Lustre, Montana, (c) Rachael Traeholt, 2013.

Flooding over Lustre Road, Lustre, Montana, (c) Rachael Traeholt, 2013.

Flooding over Lustre Road, Lustre, Montana, (c) Rachael Traeholt, 2013.

Flooding over Lustre Road, Lustre, Montana, (c) Rachael Traeholt, 2013.

Flooding over Lustre Road, Lustre, Montana, (c) Rachael Traeholt, 2013.

Traditional Folk Poetry

Steven Wall and Robert Atienza, Jr. share a video of their grandfather Albert Wall bouncing his great grandson on his leg to an old Mennonite rhyming game.  This is the only record we have of this version of the horsey poem.  While it is a shared tradition between Mennonites of both Russian and American tradition, each family seems to have their own signature "version."

Thanks Robert for cleaning this up and sharing!

Artist Jacob Kane

   Jacob Kane is a graduate of the non-denominational, Mennonite-affiliated Lustre Christian High School in Lustre, Montana, Class of '91.  Born in Montana, Kane moved to San Francisco, California after serving in the United States Navy.  His work is now part of the on-going digital art endeavor, Omnetra (see link:  Jacob Kane Omnetra).

Tribal and Mennonite Quilt Diplomacy

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     Mennonites and Amish have long been known for their excellent quilting skills.  In the North American West, they have found themselves to be in good company – especially on the Fort Peck Reservation, home also to several Mennonite communities and nearby Hutterite Colonies.

    I have been in a special position to appreciate this as the grandson of the perpetual head of the EMB Ladies’ AID quilt committee and the son of a mother who herself learned to quilt from Native American quilters at the school in which she taught.  I deeply treasure both my Schmekfest Quilt and my two star quilts – one made by my mother and one given to me upon graduation by her best friend. 

Lustre - Volt Through the Lens of Tapaha

Lustre - Volt Community by Elliot Tapaha