Illuminating Indentured Labour Histories: Fall ‘25 Lecture Series with Rizwaan Abbas

Written by Amrit Sahota – Research Assistant at SASI

On a cool Thursday evening, on November 13, attendees gathered at the third installment of the Fall Lecture Series hosted and organized by the South Asian Studies Institute (SASI) at UFV.

This lecture introduced Rizwaan Abbas, an archeologist, and the topic of the indentured labour system, specific to Indo-Fijians. The introduction for the lecture was presented by UFV’s Associate Vice President of Research and Graduate Studies, Dr. Garry Fehr, his curiosity about this topic was shared by many others in the room.

Mr. Abbas was incredibly illuminating as he discussed Oceans as Sites of Indentured Commerce, a topic which was new to some, familiar to others, and personal for a few. From the introduction and creation of the Indenture System to the abolition of it, Mr. Abbas covered a lot of ground, and touched many people with his thoughts. It was fascinating to learn about the conditions that led to indentured labour, the linguistics surrounding names at that time, and the preservation of the historic roots of Indo-Fijians in Canada.

The lecture concluded with a lively question and answer session. Mr. Abbas was thoughtful and considerate in answering questions related to the indenture system, what life was like during and after, and much more. Throughout his lecture, Mr. Abbas painted a vivid picture of the history of Indo-Fijians and the hardships many of them have endured. It was encouraging and heartwarming to experience Mr. Abbas use his voice to narrate his own story, and that of his people. From the minute he started speaking, it was apparent that this was something important, and it mattered to him. I like to think that by the end of his lecture, this topic was something that became important to a lot of people. And it does matter. It’s something that we, whomever attended, will carry with us. A history of people that everyone, in some way, can relate and empathize with.

As the event concluded and everyone made their way home, it was hard not to reflect on such a wonderful evening. Mr. Abbas shared his experience and thoughts reflecting the Indenture System for which I am extremely grateful. A lot of things will stay with me because of this lecture, most of all, the resilience and hope Indo-Fijians continue to carry with them to this day.

Also, for anyone interested, Mr. Abbas did mention there will be a documentary screening about Indo-Fijians and indentured labour occurring in January 2026 at Strawberry Hill, Surrey.

Rizwaan Abbas
Mr. Abbas was born and raised in Sparwood, B.C., on the ancestral land of the Ktunaxa Nation. He is a Director of the Indo-Fijian Cultural Society of Canada and has been working in Culture Resource Management for over two decades. Mr. Abbas is an Archaeologist with the Semiahmoo First Nation and a member of the Historical Discrimination against People of South Asian Descent Advisory Committee, in Vancouver, and the BC South Asian Canadian Museum Engagement Committee. He was Guest Editor of BC History Magazine and curated an exhibit titled, “Indo-Fijians: Surrey’s Pocket of Paradise” for the Museum of Surrey. He also authored Chapter 9 titled, “Indo-Fijians: Our Long Journey Home”, for The Social History of South Asians in British Columbia published by the South Asian Studies Institute. Mr. Abbas spearheaded reclaiming Girmit Day (the national holiday in Fiji commemorating Indian Arrival Day) in Canada as Girmitiya Day, a day for mourning and honouring his Ancestors rather than (unwittingly) celebrating the practice of Indentured Labour. For his efforts Rizwaan is the most recent recipient of the City of Surrey’s Civic Distinction Award for Heritage Preservation. It was an honor and privilege to have him as a speaker at this year’s fall lecture series.