Gentle People: A Case Study of Rockport Colony Hutterites by Joanita Kant

This book is an astute and first-hand analysis that invites our reassessment and enriches our understanding of the often misunderstood Hutterites at this iconic and emblematic place among them, Rockport Colony, South Dakota. All Hutterites know the colony's name and all that it implies, regardless of their location today. This is the story of Rockport Colony and its pivotal role in why Hutterite colonies and their estimated 45,000 members are located where they are today. It is the only place in the Western Hemisphere where two Hutterites are buried resulting from persecution for their religious beliefs during World War I, in an era before alternative service was effectively implemented for conscientious objectors. Moreover, it is the story of their peaceful life today at Rockport Colony, a strikingly beautiful farming settlement on the James River in South Dakota. Hutterites are kind and gentle people of the land who live on communal farms across the United States and Canada based on centuries old traditions, where they pass their beliefs along to their children. Pacifistic in the extreme, there has never been a murder among them since their founding in central Europe in 1528.

Paperback
Black & White Images
114 pages
ISBN: 978-0-9831521-0-1

About the author: Joanita Kant earned a M.S. in geography from South Dakota State University. She has been an author, museum director, historical preservationist, graduate teaching assistant, AmeriCorps VISTA, and Humanities speaker in the state. 

Image description: The image on the cover features a young girl dressed in winter clothing, standing in the snow. She is wearing a purple and blue patterned jacket, a long-patterned skirt and white boots. She is holding a rope attached to a blue sled. The title is present at the top of the cover in purple letters, the subtitle right below it in black. The author's name is shown in the left bottom corner of the cover in purple letters.