We would like to invite you for an evening of culture as we share our stories as descendants of Indian indentured labourers of the British Empire.

The first ship carrying Indian indentured labourers arrived in Fiji on May 14th, 1879. The labourers were to work on sugarcane plantations situated on indigenous Fijian lands. Many labourers were promised vast opportunities and riches just a stones throw away from their villages in India. In reality they were transported across an ocean, worked minimum twelve-hour days, and lived in less than ideal conditions.

Join us as we pay respect to our ancestors.

Program

Doors open at 6:00pm for mingling and refreshments. Program begins at 7:00pm.

Angelene Prakash

Angelene is an activist and podcaster from Delta, British Columbia. An organizer by nature, she is a passionate activist for progressive change and social justice issues. Her previous work occasionally put her on the front lines of the issue of period poverty in the community and she is still very invested in this work, continuing to stay involved in ongoing equity, diversity, and inclusion initiatives. Ang works with multiple organizations that advocate for menstrual equity at the operational and policy levels. She speaks publicly on panels and in classrooms on this topic as well as its intersection with movement building. Through her podcast that she co-created with her brother, Angelene is aiming to raise the profile of the Indo-Fijian diaspora in Canada while also bringing to light some very challenging and taboo topics within the community.

Angelene and her brother will be the evening's hosts.

Ashneil Prakash

There isn't anyone quite like Ashneil. You might say he is a "riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma..." After all, he is just as likely to be found blaring Black Metal as he is cuddling with his cat. A welder by trade, he is interested in mixed martial arts, animals, cars, racing cars, working on cars, being around cars and music of all kinds (literally). His path to becoming a champion for his style of social justice has been circuitous and fraught with challenges, and he is frank and forthright about his recovery journey. He hopes that people take inspiration from his story to constantly be better and do better.

Ashneil will be the evening's MC.

Rizwaan Abbas

Rizwaan is a descendant of Girmitiyas and a first generation Canadian. Born in Sparwood, British Columbia, he was exposed to his unique Indo-Fijian culture after moving to Surrey in 1993.

Rizwaan is an archaeologist with a BA from Simon Fraser University, and an MSc. from University College London (UK); the same university from which Mohandas Ghandi graduated.

Rizwaan’s exhibit, “The Indo-Fijians: Surrey’s Pocket of Paradise” was showcased at the Museum of Surrey and he wrote a chapter about our heritage and culture in a book published by the University of the Fraser Valley.

Rizwaan will be reading excerpts from his chapter.

Arif Ali aka Alite

Arif Ali is a father, social justice activist, hip hop artist and writer.

Under the alias Alite, he's been performing hip hop music across Western Canada. His style of music has placed him on the frontline of protests for marginalized communities. Creating music that is representative, empowering, and driven to change the status quo, Alite wants to challenge his listeners to uplift and build the communities around them.

A multi faceted artist Alite has also started his journey into stand up comedy getting on his first stage in 2021. Alite co-hosts a podcast with Mike Oulton called High Phrase where talent of all kinds come through to discuss their motivations. The podcast has also transitioned into live shows where Arif has had the opportunity to execute his vision as an event director.

Alite will be reciting a spoken word piece called "Far From Home."

Milan Singh

​​Milan Singh is a curator, podcaster, and community organizer. Her work focuses on issues of race, gender, and justice that have significantly impacted the South Asian diaspora in British Columbia and Canada. Milan is passionate about community histories and sharing untold narratives of early migration. She is one of the creators of the Nameless Collective Podcast, and in the podcast’s most recent episode she, along with Naveen Girn, Paneet Singh, and special guest Anita Singh, shared insight into Fiji, the indentured labour system, and connections to Canada. Milan continues to stay involved in community arts initiatives through various forms of knowledge sharing, presentations, and organizing. Milan completed a PhD in Communication Studies from Simon Fraser University.

Milan will be sharing a personal story about her journey to the National Archives of Fiji.

There will be Indo-Fijian food and refreshments for everyone to enjoy!

Beer, wine, and non-alcoholic beverages will also be available for purchase by the lovely humans at Old Crow Coffee Co.