The Canadian Archeologist, Fijian Culture in His Blood
Rizwan Abbas was born a Canadian, but his culture embedded deep in his genes remains a Fijian.
The archeologist has used this as an inspiration to set up an exhibit in the Museum of Surrey in Canada.
The exhibit discusses the history of Fijians of Indian descent, how and why they travelled out of India and what the Girmit was like and how it played a part in shaping modern Fiji.
Much of it is inspired by Mr Abbas’s father.
“I have been a consulting archaeologist for almost 20 years and while my father was dying of cancer, I had the opportunity to explain to him what it was I do as an archaeologist. As we were talking, I came to realise that I should be studying my own culture and heritage, my father’s culture, and history,” Mr Abbas said.
“My father’s story is also woven into the exhibit. His story is not dissimilar from most other Indo-Fijian immigrants who left Fiji in search for a new home.”
He said he used his father’s items in the exhibit to bring life to the Indo-Fijian culture.
“We can all relate to his story.”
Fijian links
Mr Abbas’s parents are from Tavua. They emigrated to Canada in the late 1970s to look for better opportunities.
Mr Abbas was born in a small mining town called Sparwood in Canada, but his upbringing has strong Fijian influence.
“I grew up in Sparwood where there was a small Indo-Fijian community, we were the only Muslims. I moved to Surrey when I was 15 years old and that was the first time I saw the Indo-Fijian culture in full.”
He said he had the opportunity to attend weddings, go to mosques and centres and visit large extended family.
Childhood
Mr Abbas said he was lucky to grow up in Sparwood.
It was “small-town Canada” and there were only 5000 people living in Sparwood.
He said he had friends of all different backgrounds and was exposed to Western, Christian, Hindu, and Sikh culture from a very young age.
“I always felt a little bit like an outsider. Not quite fitting into any box, but when we moved to Surrey I was exposed to my Indo-Fijian culture for the first time,” he said.
“I have always appreciated our unique way of doing things. Our language, food, music, clothing, for example are all rooted in Indian culture but with a Tropic Island Flair.
“I would like to think that this exposure to my culture at an older age was probably one of the motivations I had to study culture and become an archaeologist.
“I am very lucky and proud to be a Canadian of Indo-Fijian descent. My dad was also proud of Canada, but he missed his homeland Fiji, until his dying day.”
CANADIAN INflUENCE
Growing up in Canada came with its influences. One of those was Ball Hockey. Ball hockey is similar to ice hockey but players play on the floor wearing shoes, using a hard plastic ball – no ice or skates.
“It does not get the recognition that Ice and Field hockey get, but I enjoy the competition. I find one needs to have the skills of a hockey player, the mindset of a basketball player and the cardio of a soccer player to play the sport,” he said.
“I won the 2017 British Columbia Provincial Championship. It was Division three, but an achievement nonetheless. Competitive Ball Hockey is a very demanding sport for a goalie.
“I am also a ball hockey referee, sanctioned by the British Columbia and Canada Ball Hockey Associations.”
Mr Abbas is also a coach in the Surrey Minor Ball Hockey Association where I am a member of the Board.
He volunteers with a local charity on behalf of the Vancouver Canucks, the local professional Ice Hockey team, raising funds for Canucks for Kids Charities which benefit sick children.
THE ARCHEOLOGIST
As an archeologist, Mr Abbas is writing a chapter about Indo-Fijian history and culture for an upcoming social history book about South Asians in British Columbia being published by the University of the Fraser Valley South Asian Studies Institute.
“The chapter will go more in-depth about our history and story than my exhibit. It is scheduled to be published in January 2022,” Mr Abbas said.
“I remember the first archaeological site I ever found, the first artifact I dug but there is also the adventure of riding snowmobiles in -30 C weather over chest-deep snow or being dropped off in swamps in northern British Columbia so remote, we had to be dropped off by helicopter,” he said.
He said he has found evidence of past humans in the most remote of places, tops of mountains, in the middle of swamps, and in all different environments.
“That’s one of the enduring qualities of humanity. And it’s that resiliency that I want to showcase in my Exhibit being held at the Museum of Surrey titled “The Indo-Fijians:
Surrey’s Pocket of Paradise” open now and running until December 19, 2021.”
“I have an Associates in Arts Degree – Douglas College, Bachelors of Arts Degree (BA) in Archaeology (with a 3.5 GPA) – Simon Fraser University (SFU), Professional Specialisation Certification (PSc.) in Museum Studies – University of Victoria, and a Master’s of Science Degree (MSc.) in Paleoanthropology and Paleolithic Archaeology – from the School of Archaeology – University College London (UCL), London, UK where I graduated with Distinction,” he said.
“I am especially honoured to call Nelson Mandela and Mohandas Gandhi fellow alumni from UCL,” he added.