August 7, 2012       FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

HUTTERITES DEFY GAG ORDER AND DEMAND JUSTICE FROM NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC

The Hutterites of King Ranch Colony in Montana, who were featured in the National Geographic Channel’s recent series, Meet The Hutterites, are speaking publicly for the first time despite a legal attempt by the show’s producer to prevent them from talking openly about the controversial television production.

Jeff Collins, the execut....

Als Teilnehmer in einem Kurs am Goethe Institut hatten wir am Samstag frei. Ich beschloss, Rottenburg am Neckar zu besuchen, wo ein Denkmal für den Märtyrer Michael Sattler, einen Täufer aus dem sechzehnten Jahrhundert, steht. Rottenburg am Neckar liegt 130 km südöstlich von Schwäbisch Hall.

Ich bin um viertel vor 9 Uhr morgens von zu Hause losgefahren, leider ein bisschen zu spät, weil der Zug um 9:00 Uhr abfuhr. Johannes Brolich, mein Gastgeber, fuhr mich mit dem Kleinauto zu dem Bahnhof in Schwäbisch Hall-Hessental. Wir kamen zwe....

Last week, alerted by both Mennonite and Hutterite friends, I viewed two episodes of National Geographic’s currently running television series on the Hutterites.  While finding it humorously entertaining, I didn't know whether to laugh or scoff.

I understand this is in the recently evolved mode of  "reality TV," a genre of entertainment.  But what kind of “reality” can be expected from producers choosing a dysfunctional colony by which to present what they call "the very first glimpse inside" Hutterite life?

Actually, an hour-lon....

This post is not about King Ranch Colony or our non Hutterite friends. Its about the real challenges that we the Hutterian Brethren are facing today.

Before continuing, I would like to present a qualifier. An interpretation of a people by a person from outside of the group has certain dangers, even if the outsider is sympathetic, as some outsiders most assuredly are. However, I know of the dangers of outside interpretations from reading Hutterite history and sociology. Some interpreters are sympathetic but their reports are still quite skewe....

On May 29th, the first of ten episodes of “American Colony: Meet the Hutterites” aired on National Geographic Channel. A film crew spent months filming the King Ranch Hutterite Colony from the Dariusleut branch of Hutterites near Lewistown, Montana.

The online video clips and the episodes are interesting and entertaining, not only for the regular audience of National Geographic, but also for many of the 49 000 Hutterites who live on colonies scattered throughout the plains in the USA and Canada. The trailers, deleted scenes and photos po....