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Report of the Indiana Mennonite Conference held at the Yellow Creek Meetinghouse on October 11, 1872.

Hope for the Future and 30th Anniversary of Damascus Road Oral History Project Description
February 28th - March 2nd, 2025

Oral history is a technique used to capture and preserve original historical material through personal recollection and perspectives. This form of history can be used to collect information that is oftentimes unaccounted for in written narratives or repositories. When it comes to the achievements and lived experiences of Black, Indigenous, Asian, Latino, Pacific Islanders, and Deshi peoples, primary source material and historical records are limited. In the field of history, a predominantly white discipline, it is easy for white history to become the default. This makes it difficult for marginalized peoples to carve themselves out in historical narratives and analysis.

This year’s conference is being co-hosted by Hope for the Future (HFTF) and Roots of Justice (fka. Damascus Road). This conference and organization work to nurture a space where marginalized people of color can safely discuss their racial realities and experiences within the Mennonite church. As you may know, the racial history of the Mennonite church was in some cases discriminatory and therefore relatively limited. In an attempt to broaden the scope of voices within the Mennonite Church USA Archives, conference coordinators have given us the privilege of conducting oral history interviews. After our interview process, these recordings will be available to the public through the MCUSA Archives to ensure the work of future studies and research.

We believe that the joy and hardships you have experienced in your work with Damascus Road deserves preservation. Your willingness to sit with us and tell your story are the building blocks for diverse historical narratives and analysis. This is an opportunity to exchange honest and fruitful dialogue. We hope that your participation in this project will foster a sense of empowerment and, also, relief. Your stories and experiences hold weight, not just when you speak them aloud, but also for you.

• Naomi Klassen and Eliza Alemán (Interviewers)

List of Interviewees:
Iris de Leon-Hartshorn
Rick Derksen
Felipe Hinojosa
Tobin Miller Shearer
Phil Morice Brubaker
Matti Yvonne Platts
Regina Shands-Stoltzfus
Conrad Thulani Moore
Brenda Zook-Friesen

Fonds is arranged in the following series:
1) Diaries, November/December 1947 - (1 file) Box 199
2) Correspondence, 1947 (3 files) - Box 199
3) Minutes & Reports, 1946-1956 - (1 file) Box 199
4) Financial Records, 1950, 1954 - (1 file) Box 199
5) Reports, 1926-1954 - (1 file) Box 199
6) Research Material, 1936-1954 - (4 files) Box 199
7) Board of Colonization, 1931-1935, 1947 - (3 files) Box 199
8) Reiseschuld, 1939 - (1 file) Box 199
9) Sir Edward Beatty Visit to Coaldale, AB - 1937 - (1 file) Box 199
10) Personal Meditations, Herb Klassen - (1 file) Box 199
11) Clippings - (1 file) Box 199
12) Photographs (including photocopies) - (1 file) Box 199
13) Ephemera - (1 file) Box 199

This item is a diary begun by Johann Wall's father Jacob Wall of the Chortitza Colony in South Russia. It is a very unique item as very few diaries from this time period in Russia are available today. The diary begins with one entry a year and then slowly increases to over ten pages per year. Johann inherited the diary and brought it to Canada. Edward Enns of Winnipeg translated the manuscript and Glenn Penner published in Mennonite Family History April 1997 a listing of Chortitza Colony marriages found in the diary.
Location: 1086:5, 5a, 7 Also included is the article Jacob Rempel, "The Blumenort Flour Mill," in Mennonite Memories: Settling in Western Canada, 1974 p. 93-97.

This series consists of images of buildings built and or owned by Mennonites in Ukraine. Most images were taken by Rudy Friesen.