Editing Hutterites (section)

== Society ==
[[File:Bon Homme NHouse3-1.JPG|thumb|right|[[Bon Homme Hutterite Colony|Bon Homme]] Limestone House]]
Hutterite communes, called "colonies", are all rural; many depend largely on farming or [[ranching]], depending on their locale, for their income. Colonies in the modern era have been shifting to manufacturing as making a living on farming alone gets more difficult. The colony is virtually self-sufficient as far as labor, constructing its own buildings, doing its own maintenance and repair on equipment, making its own clothes, etc., is concerned. This has changed in recent [when?] years, and colonies have started to depend a little more on outside sources for food, clothing and other goods.

Hutterite agriculture today is specialized and more or less industrialized. Hutterite children therefore have no close contact with farm animals any longer and are not protected from [[asthma]] through close contact with farm animals, as Amish children are, but are now similar to the general North American population.<ref>{{Cite journal|title=Innate Immunity and Asthma Risk in Amish and Hutterite Farm Children|first1=Michelle M.|last1=Stein|first2=Cara L.|last2=Hrusch|first3=Justyna|last3=Gozdz|first4=Catherine|last4=Igartua|first5=Vadim|last5=Pivniouk|first6=Sean E.|last6=Murray|first7=Julie G.|last7=Ledford|first8=Mauricius|last8=Marques dos Santos|first9=Rebecca L.|last9=Anderson|first10=Nervana|last10=Metwali|first11=Julia W.|last11=Neilson|first12=Raina M.|last12=Maier|first13=Jack A.|last13=Gilbert|first14=Mark|last14=Holbreich|first15=Peter S.|last15=Thorne|first16=Fernando D.|last16=Martinez|first17=Erika|last17=von Mutius|first18=Donata|last18=Vercelli|first19=Carole|last19=Ober|first20=Anne I.|last20=Sperling|date=August 4, 2016|journal=New England Journal of Medicine|volume=375|issue=5|pages=411–421|doi=10.1056/NEJMoa1508749|pmid=27518660|pmc=5137793}}</ref>

=== Governance and leadership ===
{{more citations needed section|date=May 2016}}

Hutterite colonies are mostly [[patriarchy|patriarchal]] with women participating in roles such as cooking, medical decisions, and selection and purchase of fabric for clothing. Each colony has three high-level leaders. The two top-level leaders are the Minister and the Secretary. A third leader is the Assistant Minister. The Minister also holds the position as president in matters related to the incorporation of the legal business entity associated with each colony. The Secretary is widely referred to as the colony "Manager", "Boss" or "Business Boss" and is responsible for the business operations of the colony, such as bookkeeping, cheque-writing and budget organization. The Assistant Minister helps with church leadership (preaching) responsibilities, but will often also be the "German Teacher" for the school-aged children.<ref>{{cite book|last=Esau|first=Alvin|title=The Courts and the Colonies|year=2004|publisher=UBC Press|location=Vancouver, BC|isbn=0-7748-1116-1|page=10}}</ref>

The Secretary's wife sometimes holds the title of ''Schneider'' (from German "tailor") and thus she is in charge of clothes' making and purchasing the colony's fabric requirements for the  making of all clothing. The term "boss" is used widely in colony language. Aside from the Secretary, who functions as the business boss, there are a number of other significant "boss" positions in most colonies. The most significant in the average colony is the "Farm Boss". This person is responsible for all aspects of overseeing grain farming operations. This includes crop management, [[agronomy]], [[crop insurance]] planning and assigning staff to various farming operations.

Beyond these top-level leadership positions there will also be the "Hog Boss", "Dairy Boss", and so on, depending on what agricultural operations exist at the specific colony. In each case these individuals are fully responsible for their own areas of responsibility, and will have other colony residents working in those respective areas.

The Minister, Secretary, and all "boss" positions are elected positions and many decisions are put to a vote before they are implemented.

The voting and decision-making process at most colonies is based upon a two-tiered structure including a council — usually seven senior males — and the voting membership, which includes all the married men of the colony. For each "significant" decision the council will first vote and, if passed, the decision will be carried to the voting membership. Officials not following the selected decisions can be removed by a similar vote of a colony.

There is a wide range of leadership cultures and styles between the three main colony varieties. In some cases very dominant ministers or secretaries may hold greater sway over some colonies than others.

Women and children hold no formal voting power over decision-making in a colony, but they often hold influence on decision-making through the informal processes of a colony's social framework.<ref>{{cite book|last=Janzen|first=Rod|display-authors=etal|title=The Hutterites in North America|year=2004|publisher=Johns Hopkins Press|location=Baltimore, Maryland|isbn=9780801899256|page=132}}</ref>

Overarching all internal governance processes within a single colony is the broader "Bishop" structure of leaders from across a "branch" (Lehrer-, Darius- or Schmiedeleut) such that all colonies within each branch are subject to the broader decision-making of that branch's "Bishop" council. A minister of a colony who does not ensure his colony follows broader "Bishop" council decisions can be removed from his position.

=== Community ownership ===
Hutterites practice a near-total [[community of goods]]: all property is owned by the colony, and provisions for individual members and their families come from the common resources. This practice is based largely on Hutterite interpretation of passages in chapters 2, 4, and 5 of  [[Acts of the Apostles|Acts]], which speak of the believers' "having all things in common." Thus the colony owns and operates its buildings and equipment like a corporation, with all profits reinvested in the community.  Housing units are built and assigned to individual families but belong to the colony, and there is very little personal property. There are no paychecks on Hutterite colonies, as members are expected to work for the good of the community. Allowances are given, with the monetary amount varying heavily between colonies.  Lunch and dinner meals are taken by the entire colony in a dining or fellowship room. Men and women sit in a segregated fashion. Special occasions sometimes allow entire families to enjoy meals together, but individual housing units do have kitchens which are used for breakfast meals.

===Daughter colonies===
[[File:Hutterer-Neue Kolonie.jpg|right|thumb|New colony]]

Each colony may consist of about 10 to 20 families (may not always apply), with a population of around 60 to 250. When the colony's population grows near the upper limit and its leadership determines that branching off is economically and spiritually necessary, they locate, purchase land for and build a "daughter" colony.

The process by which a colony splits to create a new daughter colony varies across the branches of colonies. In Lehrerleut, this process is quite structured, while in Darius and Schmiedeleut the process can be somewhat less so. In a Lehrerleut colony, the land will be purchased and buildings actually constructed before anyone in the colony knows who will be relocating to the daughter colony location. The final decision as to who leaves and who stays will not be made until everything is ready at the new location.

During the construction process, the colony leadership splits up the colony as evenly as possible, creating two separate groups of families. The two groups are made as equal as possible in size, taking into account the practical limits of family unit sizes in each group. Additionally, the leadership must split the business operations as evenly as possible. This means deciding which colony may take on, for example, either hog farming or dairy. Colony members are given a chance to voice concerns about which group a family is assigned to, but at some point, a final decision is made. This process can be very difficult and stressful for a colony, as many political and family dynamics become topics of discussion, and not everyone will be happy about the process or its results.{{Citation needed|date=December 2017}}

Once all decisions have been made, the two groups may be identified as "Group A" and "Group B".<ref>{{cite book|last=Peter|first=K|title=The Dynamics of Hutterite Society: An Analytical Approach|url=https://archive.org/details/dynamicsofhutter0000pete|url-access=registration|year=1987|publisher=University of Alberta Press|location=Edmonton, AB|isbn=0-7748-1116-1|page=345}}</ref> The last evening before a new group of people is to leave the "mother" colony for the "daughter" colony, two pieces of paper, labeled "Group A" and "Group B", are placed into a hat. The minister will pray, asking for God's choice of the paper drawn from the hat, and will draw one piece of paper. The name drawn will indicate which group is leaving for the daughter colony. Within hours, the daughter colony begins the process of settling at a brand new site.{{Citation needed|date=December 2017}}

This very structured procedure differs dramatically from the one that may be used at some Darius and Schmiedeleut colonies, where the split can sometimes be staggered over time, with only small groups of people moving to the new location at a time.

=== Agriculture and manufacturing ===
[[File:Hutterite colony in Martinsdale Montana.jpg|thumb|right|Hutterite colony in [[Martinsdale, Montana]], with an array of reconditioned Nordtank wind turbines]]

Hutterite colonies often own large tracts of land and, since they function as a collective unit, they can make or afford higher-quality equipment than if they were working alone.{{Citation needed|date=June 2012}} Some also run industrial hog, dairy, turkey, chicken and egg production operations. An increasing number of Hutterite colonies are again venturing into the manufacturing sector, a change that is reminiscent of an early period of Hutterite life in Europe. Before the Hutterites emigrated to North America, they relied on manufacturing to sustain their communities. It was only in Russia that the Hutterites learned to farm from the Mennonites. Because of the increasing automation of farming (large equipment, GPS-controlled seeding, spraying, etc.), farming operations have become much more efficient. Many colonies that have gone into manufacturing believe they need to provide their members with a higher level of education.{{Citation needed|date=December 2017}}

A major driving force for Hutterite leadership nowadays is the recognition that land prices have risen dramatically in Alberta and Saskatchewan because of the oil and gas industry,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.albertaventure.com/abventure_4935.html?ID=4935&doc_id=9830|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080410124117/http://www.albertaventure.com/abventure_4935.html?ID=4935&doc_id=9830|url-status=dead|title=Alberta Venture - ARTICLES|archive-date=April 10, 2008}}</ref> thus creating the need for a greater amount of cash to buy land when the time comes for a colony to split. The splitting process requires the purchase of land and the construction of buildings. This can require funds in the range of [[Canadian dollar|C$]]20 million in 2008 terms: upwards of $10M for land and another $10M for buildings and construction. This massive cash requirement has forced leadership to reevaluate how a colony can produce the necessary funds. New projects have included plastics' manufacturing, metal fabrication, cabinetry and stone or granite forming, to name a few. One unique project came together in South Dakota. A group of 44 colonies joined to create a turkey processing center where their poultry can be processed. The plant hired non-Hutterite staff to process the poultry for market. This plant helped to secure demand for the colonies' poultry.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.prairiebizmag.com/event/article/id/16930/ |archive-url=https://archive.today/20140403144811/http://www.prairiebizmag.com/event/article/id/16930/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=April 3, 2014 |title=How SD became a top place for foreign money &#124; Grand Forks, ND |publisher=Prairiebizmag.com |access-date=April 3, 2014 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.keloland.com/newsdetail.cfm/turkey-plant-celebrates-grand-opening/?id=47584 |title=Turkey Plant Celebrates Grand Opening |publisher=Keloland.Com |access-date=April 3, 2014 |archive-date=April 7, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140407063612/http://www.keloland.com/newsdetail.cfm/turkey-plant-celebrates-grand-opening/?id=47584 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

=== Use of technology ===
Hutterites do not shun modern technology, but may limit some uses of it. Many attempt to remove themselves from the outside world (television sets – and in some cases the internet – are banned), and up until recently, many of the Lehrerleut and Dariusleut (Alberta) colonies still had only one central telephone. The Schmiedeleut, however, made this transition earlier, where each household had a phone along with a central telephone for the colony business operation. In many colonies, telephones are tied into the sort of commercial [[private branch exchange]] (PBX) systems more commonly used by businesses, with which [[toll restriction]] features could easily be programmed.

Today, Hutteries widely use telephones for both business and social purposes. Cell phones are also very common among all three groups today. Text messaging has made cell phones particularly useful for Hutterian young people wishing to keep in touch with their peers. Some Hutterite homes have computers and radios; and some (mostly liberal Schmiedeleut colonies) have Internet access. Farming equipment technology generally matches or exceeds that of non-Hutterite farmers. Lehrerleut colonies have recently struggled with the proliferation of computers and have clamped down, so that computers are no longer allowed in households and their use is limited to only business and farming operations, including animal, feed and crop management. As the world evolves more, however, and technology is used more and more for work and communication, many Hutterite young people use computers, photos, and the internet for keeping in contact with their friends and relatives and meeting new people outside the colony.<ref>{{cite news |last=Tompkins |first=Caitlin |title=Hutterites embrace technology for business, education|work=The Spokesman-Review |url=https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2015/mar/08/hutterites-embrace-technology-for-business/ |access-date=24 October 2020|agency=Murrow News Service |publisher=The Spokesman Review |date=March 8, 2015}}</ref>

=== Education ===
[[File:Hutterer-Crystal Schule1.jpg|thumb|upright|Schmiedeleut Hutterites at school in Crystal Springs Colony, Manitoba, Canada]]

Hutterite children get their education in a schoolhouse at the colony, according to an educational agreement with the province or state. The school is typically run by a hired "outside" teacher who teaches the basics, including English. In some Schmiedeleut schools, teachers are chosen from the colony. The "German" education of colony children is the responsibility of the "Assistant Minister" at some colonies, but most colonies elect a "German Teacher", who in most cases also takes care of the colony garden.{{Citation needed|date=January 2011}} His job entails training in German language studies, Bible teaching, and scripture memorization. The German Teacher co-operates with the outside teacher with regard to scheduling and planning. Some Hutterite colonies are allowed to send their children to public school as the parents see fit, but in some cases it is customary to remove them from school entirely in 8th grade or at the age of 15; however, many colonies offer them a full grade 12 diploma and in some cases a university degree. Public school in these instances is seen as a luxury and children are sometimes made to miss days of school in favor of duties at the colony. In a few rare cases, allowing a child to continue attending school past this limit can result in punishment of the parents, including shunning and removal from the church.{{citation needed|date=May 2016}}

=== Major branches ===
Three different branches of Hutterites live in the prairies of North America: the [[Schmiedeleut]], the [[Dariusleut]] and the [[Lehrerleut]]. Though all three "leut" are Hutterites, there are some distinctive differences, including style of dress and organizational structure.{{Clarify|date=July 2009}} However, the original doctrine of all three groups is identical. The differences are mostly traditional and geographic.

There are two other related groups. The Arnoldleut—also referred to as the [[Bruderhof Communities]] or currently, Church Communities International<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://christlife.org/blog/learning-from-the-bruderhof-an-intentional-christian-community|title=Learning from the Bruderhof: An Intentional Christian Community|work=ChristLife|access-date=May 23, 2017|archive-date=April 7, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220407004601/https://christlife.org/blog/learning-from-the-bruderhof-an-intentional-christian-community|url-status=dead}}</ref>—is a group of more recent origin which, prior to 1990, were accepted by the Dariusleut and Lehrerleut groups as a part of the Hutterite community.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.standard.co.uk/stayingin/inside-the-bruderhof-review-a-look-into-a-british-religious-commune-a4198496.html|title=Inside the Bruderhof review: A look into a British religious commune|date=July 25, 2019|website=London Evening Standard|access-date=July 31, 2019}}</ref> The Schmiedeleut were divided over the issue; one group(Group 1) is called the 'oilers', because of an issue over an oil well and the other group(Group 2) is called the 'Gibbs'. The other is the [[Prairieleut]] – Hutterites that lived in separate households rather than in colonies after settling on the American prairies. At the time of immigration the Prairieleut amounted to around 2/3 of the Hutterite immigrants. Most of the Prairieleut eventually united with the Mennonites.

Since 1992, the Schmiedeleut, until that point the largest of the three "leut," have been divided into "Group One" and "Group Two" factions over controversies including the Arnoldleut/Bruderhof issue and the leadership of the Schmiedeleut elder. This highly acrimonious division has cut across family lines and remains a serious matter almost three decades later. Group One colonies generally have relatively more liberal positions on issues including higher education, ecumenical and missions work, musical instruments, media, and technology.

=== Photography ===
Alberta Hutterites initially won the right not to have their photographs taken for their [[Driver's licence in Canada|driver's licenses]]. In May 2007, the [[Alberta Court of Appeal]] ruled that the photograph requirement violates their religious rights and that driving was essential to their way of life.<ref>[http://www.canlii.org/en/ab/abca/doc/2007/2007abca160/2007abca160.html ''Hutterian Brethren of Wilson Colony v. Alberta''], 2007 [[Alberta Court of Appeal|ABCA]] 160.</ref> The Wilson Colony based its position on the belief that images are prohibited by the [[Ten Commandments#Traditional division and interpretation|Second Commandment]].<ref>[https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/hutterites-exempt-from-driver-s-licence-photos-appeal-court-1.638192 Hutterites exempt from driver's licence photos: Appeal Court], CBC News, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, May 17, 2007</ref> About eighty of the photo-less licenses were in use at the time of the decision.<ref>[http://www.edmontonsun.com/News/Alberta/2007/05/17/4188604.html Alta. Hutterites win right to driver’s license without pic], Edmonton Sun, May 17, 2007</ref> Besides the Alberta Hutterite groups (Darius and Lehrerleut), a handful of colonies in Manitoba (Schmiedeleut) do not wish their members to be photographed for licenses or other [[identity documents]].{{Citation needed|date=November 2009}}

However, in July 2009, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled 4–3 (in ''[[Alberta v. Hutterian Brethren of Wilson Colony]]'') that a Hutterite community must abide by provincial rules that make a digital photo mandatory for all new driver's licenses as a way to prevent [[identity theft]].<ref>[http://csc.lexum.umontreal.ca/en/2009/2009scc37/2009scc37.html Alberta v. Hutterian Brethren of Wilson Colony] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091221071000/http://csc.lexum.umontreal.ca/en/2009/2009scc37/2009scc37.html |date=December 21, 2009 }}, 2009 [[Supreme Court of Canada|SCC]] 37 (July 24, 2009)</ref><ref>[https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hutterites-need-driver-s-licence-photos-top-court-1.791700 Hutterites need driver's licence photos: top court], CBC News, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, July 24, 2009</ref>

From 1972 to 1980, Chicago photographer [[Mary Koga]] traveled to rural Alberta to photograph members of the community for her series ''The Hutterites''.<ref>{{citation |url=https://www.mocp.org/detail.php?type=related&kv=7320&t=people |title=Koga, Mary |website=Museum of Contemporary Photography |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150910084008/https://www.mocp.org/detail.php?type=related&kv=7320&t=people |archive-date=2015-09-10 |access-date=2024-05-10 }}</ref>

A 2018 report published by the ''[[Huffington Post]]'' contained a series of photographs made by Jill Brody over several years<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.greatfallstribune.com/story/life/my-montana/2014/11/21/photography-exhibit-captures-life-hutterite-colonies/19364075/|title=Photography exhibit captures life on Hutterite colonies|first=Laura|last=Bailey|website=Great Falls Tribune}}</ref> at three colonies in [[Montana]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/hutterites-rural-religious-photos_n_5accee42e4b0152082fe4005|title=What One Of America's Most Isolated Communities Can Teach Us About Getting Along|date=April 13, 2018|website=HuffPost}}</ref>

=== Clothing ===
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[[File:Hutterite Sunset.jpg|thumbnail|Hutterite women return from working in the fields at sunset.]]

In contrast to the uniformly plain look of the Amish and Old Order Mennonites, Hutterite clothing can be vividly colored, especially on children, although many Hutterites do wear [[plain dress]].<ref name="JanzenStanton2010">{{cite book |last1=Janzen |first1=Rod |last2=Stanton |first2=Max |title=The Hutterites in North America|date=September 1, 2010|publisher=JHU Press|language=en |isbn=9780801899256|page=149|quote=Here their plain style of dress became a distinguishing mark of the Hutterite Christian faith. Plain dress defines sexual roles and status and de-emphasizes the importance of outward forms of physical beauty.}}</ref> Most of the clothing is homemade within the colony. Shoes were homemade in the past but are now mostly store-bought.

Men's jackets and pants are usually black. Generally, the men wear buttoned-up shirts with long sleeves and collars, and they may wear undershirts. Men's pants are not held in place by belts, but rather by black suspenders. These pants are also distinctive by their lack of back pockets.

Women and girls each wear a dress with a blouse underneath. Most Lehrerleut and Dariusleut also wear a kerchief-style [[Christian headcovering]] which is usually black with white polka dots. The Schmiedleut also wear a kerchief-style head cover, but without the dots. The pattern of kerchief thus indicates to which branch the women belong: large dots indicate Lehrerleut, small dots Dariusleut and no dots Schmiedeleut. In some cases Dariusleut kerchiefs also have no dots. Female members of the Bruderhof wear solid colored kerchiefs in black, blue or white and sometimes no kerchief at all.

Young girls each wear a bright, colorful cap that fastens under the chin.

Church garb is generally dark for both men and women. The clothing worn for church consists of a plain jacket for both genders and a black apron for women. Men's church hats are always dark and usually black.

=== Dialect ===
Just as the Amish and Old Order Mennonites often use [[Pennsylvania Dutch language|Pennsylvania Dutch]], the Hutterites have preserved and use among themselves a distinct dialect of German known as [[Hutterite German]], or Hutterisch, sometimes regarded as being a language in its own right. Originally mainly based on a Tyrolean dialect from the south-central German-speaking Europe from which many of them sprang in the 16th century, Hutterisch has taken on a [[Carinthia (state)|Carinthian]] base because of their history: In the years 1760–1763, a small group of surviving Hutterites in [[Transylvania]] were joined by a larger group of Lutheran forced migrants from [[Carinthia]], the so-called [[Transylvanian Landler]]. Eventually, this led to the replacement of the Hutterites' Tyrolean dialect by the Carinthian dialect. The Amish and Hutterite German dialects are not generally mutually intelligible because the dialects originate from regions that are several hundred kilometres (miles) apart. In their religious exercises, Hutterites use a classic Lutheran German.{{citation needed|date=May 2016}}

=== In the courts ===
As part of their [[Anabaptist]] teachings of nonresistance, Hutterites historically have avoided getting involved in litigation within the secular justice system. One of the early founders of the Hutterites, [[Peter Riedemann]], wrote about the Hutterites' stand on going to court in ''Peter Riedemann's Hutterite Confession of Faith'': "Christ shows that Christians may not go to court when he says, 'If anyone will sue you and take away your coat, let him have your cloak also.' In effect Jesus is saying, 'It is better to let people take everything than to quarrel with them and find yourself in a strange court.' Christ wants us to show that we seek what is heavenly and belongs to us, and not what is temporal or alien to us. Thus, it is evident that a Christian can neither go to court nor be a judge."

Consistent with their beliefs, records do not indicate any litigation initiated by the Hutterites up to the twentieth century. However, in their more recent history in North America some Hutterite conflicts have emerged in court litigations. Several cases involved the Hutterite Colony defending their religious lifestyle against the government.<ref name="Univ of British Columbia Pr">{{cite book|last=Esau|first=Alvin J.|title=Courts And the Colonies The Litigation of Hutterite Church Disputes.|date=2006|publisher=Univ of British Columbia Pr|location=Vancouver|isbn=978-0774811170}}</ref> This includes the recent conflict over photographs on driver's licenses in ''[[Alberta v Hutterian Brethren of Wilson Colony]]''. Another recent case in the United States, ''Big Sky Colony Inc. v. Montana Department of Labor and Industry'', forced the Hutterites to participate in the workers' compensation system despite the Hutterites' religious objections.<ref>{{cite news|title=Montana Hutterite colony asks Supreme Court to hear religious liberty case|url=http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865577854/Montana-Hutterite-colony-asks-Supreme-Court-to-hear-religious-liberty-case.html?pg=all|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130517153703/http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865577854/Montana-Hutterite-colony-asks-Supreme-Court-to-hear-religious-liberty-case.html?pg=all|url-status=dead|archive-date=May 17, 2013|newspaper=Deseret News|date=April 10, 2013}}</ref>

The willingness of the colonies to take matters to secular courts has also resulted in internal religious disputes being brought before the court. Two of these cases have come to appeal before the [[Supreme Court of Canada]]: ''Hofer v. Hofer'' (1970) and ''Lakeside Colony of Hutterian Brethren v. Hofer'' (1992). ''Hofer v. Hofer'' involved several expelled members of the Interlake Colony in [[Manitoba]] who sought a share of the communal property. The Supreme Court of Canada ruled that according to the religious tenets of the Hutterites, the Hutterites have no individual property and therefore the former members cannot be entitled to a share of the Hutterite colony's goods. In the case of ''Lakeside Colony of Hutterian Brethren v. Hofer'', Daniel Hofer Sr. of Lakeside Colony challenged the right of the Hutterian Brethren Church to expel him and other members. The igniting issue focused on who owned the rights to a patented hog feeder. The Board of Managers of the Colony had ruled that Hofer did not own the patent of the hog feeder in question and should stop producing the item. Hofer refused to submit to what he considered was an injustice and also refused to obey the colony's order of expulsion. In response Jacob Kleinsasser of Crystal Spring Colony, elder of the Schmiedleut group of Hutterites, tried to use the state to enforce the expulsion order. Daniel Hofer Sr. initially lost the case. Hofer also lost his first appeal but finally won on an appeal to the [[Supreme Court of Canada]], who overturned the expulsion.<ref name="Univ of British Columbia Pr"/><ref>{{cite book|last=Buckingham|first=Janet Epp|title=Fighting over God : a legal and political history of religious freedom in Canada|date=2014|publisher=McGill-Queen's University Press |isbn=978-0-7735-4327-0}}</ref> The outcome of these two cases has strongly influenced the outcome of similar cases in Canada. When some members of [[The Nine (authors)|The Nine]] sued their former colony in Manitoba in 2008 over lost wages and injuries the case was never even heard in court.<ref>{{cite news|last=Hitchen|first=Ian|title='The Nine' share their struggles|publisher=Brandon Sun|date=September 7, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Manitoba Hutterite colony sued over unpaid labour|agency=The Canadian Press|date=June 5, 2008}}</ref>

In the United States judges have repeatedly dismissed cases that were brought against the colony by colony members or former members. Such cases include ''Wollma, et al. v. Poinsett Hutterian Brethren, Inc.'' (1994) in [[South Dakota]], and ''Eli Wollman Sr. et al. v. Ayers Ranch Colony'' (2001) in [[Montana]]. More recently in [[North Dakota]], a case was brought by some of The Nine against Forest River Colony and was again dismissed by a judge in March 2010, ruling that the courts did not have subject matter jurisdiction over the case.<ref name="Court Document">{{cite news|title=Motion to Dismiss Maendel et al. v. Forest River Colony of Hutterian Bretheran|publisher=State of North Dakota County of Grand Forks}}</ref><ref name="Court Document2">{{cite news|title=Judgement of Dismissal Maendel et al. v. Forest River Colony of Hutterian Bretheran|publisher=State of North Dakota County of Grand Forks}}</ref>