Paarth Alekshender Mittal
Paarth worked with Books, Arts, Music (BAM) Collective to address the gaps between Indigenous Peoples and Newcomers/Refugees, and foster conversations around Indigenous cultures, lives, and histories. BAM Collective is Ontario’s first youth-led collective that empowers equity-seeking young people through art and community engagement.
Community Engagement Initiative
Paarth brought together newcomers and Indigenous peoples to bridge gaps between the two communities. His virtual event titled “Bridging Gaps Between Newcomers & Indigenous Peoples: A Virtual Roundtable” had three Indigenous speakers share their views on three key themes: Indigenous-Newcomer solidarity, ‘Decolonizing’ vs. ‘Indigenizing’ Education, and Face-to-Face Connections. He also interviewed both communities to better understand how we can foster solidarity.
Report
Canada can, and must, do more to ensure that Newcomers (including refugees) are aware of Indigenous presence and the colonial context of Canada, through community-based interactive avenues and educational resources. Although there is a growth in public awareness surrounding Canadian settler-colonial legacies, many Newcomers still lack the tools and understanding necessary to reconcile and build relationships with Indigenous Peoples and lands. Stereotypes and Indigenous erasure (perpetuated by the media, education, governments, and the settlement sector) serve to disconnect Newcomers and Indigenous Peoples. Conversely, face-to-face interactions and community programming (centering Indigenous histories, cultures, etc.) can foster cross-group relationships and solidarity, necessary both for Reconciliation and creating a decolonizing society. This study relied on gathering and analyzing data from 14 virtual interviews, one survey, one panel discussion, and academic/grey literature. It also used a decolonial methodology, through centering non-Western worldviews and engaging critically with colonialism in current-day thinking and institutions.
Read Paarth’s blog: Reconciliation Means Engaging All, Even Newcomers
Bio
Paarth Mittal (he/him) is passionate about Indigenous Rights and creating a more just society. As a settler and immigrant currently located on the unceded lands of the W̱SÁNEĆ, Songhees and Esquimalt First Nations (Victoria, BC), Paarth has always been curious about how we can decolonize our thoughts and power structures, and how we can honour Indigenous relations (to land, water, human and non-human living beings) in the actions that we undertake. In 2021, Paarth graduated from the University of Victoria with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science (Honours) and Environmental Studies.
Keywords
Newcomers, Refugees, Indigenous Peoples, Reconciliation, Colonialism, Canada, Social Connectedness, Community, Solidarity, Education, Land, Stereotypes