The Fight Over Words

Disputes over whether the women are fleeing, rebelling, or leaving show how language can either impose judgment or make action imaginable.

increasingBearing stren­gth in each eventdecreasing

Leaving or Fleeing

A Word Becomes a Conflict Salome’s Objection Salome Friesen rejects “fleeing” as a description because it implies fear and defeat. Mariche Loewen’s choice of the word provokes a sharp exchange. Naming the Act The distinction allows the women to claim intention in their decision. They are not merely driven out; they are choosing to go.

An Insurrection or Not

A Plan Without a Name Mariche’s Correction Mariche Loewen objects when the plan is called an insurrection, arguing that the women do not intend violence. Ona Friesen agrees that its proper name remains unsettled. Language Follows Action The women’s departure does not fit the available terms. Their struggle to name it reflects a search for political agency beyond the colony’s categories.

The Word Revolutionary

A Dangerous Label Resistance to the Term Agata Friesen and Greta Loewen reject “revolutionary,” associating it with armed upheaval and the Russian Revolution. Ona Friesen finds the word compelling. A Smaller Revolution Their disagreement reveals that change can be radical without being military. The women are altering who decides, who interprets, and who learns.

Manifesto as Guide

A Statement of Intent Unfamiliar Political Language The younger women ask what a manifesto is. Ona Friesen describes it as a statement or guide, and August Epp adds that it may be revolutionary. A Practical Purpose The women use the idea to articulate their aims rather than to claim a completed program. Their declaration gives shared direction to an uncertain departure.

The Final Description

Chosen to Leave A Last Correction August Epp reminds Salome Friesen that the women are not fleeing. She agrees that they have chosen to leave. Agency in the Farewell The exchange gives the departure its clearest name at the moment it becomes irreversible. Language cannot secure the road, but it can preserve the women’s account of why they took it.

June 6, 2009, as the first meeting turns to departure

June 6, 2009, during the discussion of secrecy

June 7, 2009, during the manifesto discussion

June 7, 2009, as the women define their aims

June 7, 2009, in Salome’s parting exchange with August