Preparations are underway for the next exhibit at the Mennonite Heritage Village in Steinbach, even though it’s still months away.

Senior Curator Andrea Klassen says one of the items that will be on display this spring, is a traditional head covering, called a Haube, that was worn on Sundays by Mennonite women.

Klassen came across this particular Haube while she visited The Manitoba Colony in Cuautemoc, Mexico a few years ago Bazar Km 14, a thrift shop at Kilometer 14 in the Manitoba Colony, Cuauhtémoc, Mexico in 2019.

This Haube will be on display in the upcoming exhibit at Mennonite Heritage Village. (Photo submitted)

It was purchased at a thrift shop that was run by the community and proceeds from sales were used in support of the community’s seniors care home.

We don’t know much about the history of this item before it arrived in the thrift shop, was purchased by Klassen and then donated to Mennonite Heritage Village’s collection.

But she says it is remarkable because it follows the common pattern and features the same characteristics of traditional Mennonite head coverings from the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries in Russia and Canada, demonstrating some of the traditions that have been preserved among traditionalist Mennonites in Latin America.

“How it ends up coming to Mexico is through the migration of traditionalist Mennonite groups from Manitoba and Saskatchewan to northern Mexico, starting in 1922,” Klassen says. “And so, that’s what we’re going to be looking at in our next exhibit as we come to the 100th anniversary of this emigration from Canada.”

The current exhibit, Mennonites at War, was extended until April. So, we can expect the new exhibit to open in May sometime. It will run until October.