Indigenous Migration to Canada: A Diasporic Experience of “Jumma” Indigenous Peoples in a Multicultural Society

Jumma Indigenous peoples in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) have gone through many political crises since the British colonial period. After the fall of the British Empire, the Indian sub-continent was divided into two countries—India and Pakistan—in 1947, and CHT became a part of East Pakistan. During the Pakistan regime, the government built a hydroelectric dam on the Karnafuli River, resulting in more than 100,000 Jummas losing their traditional lands and causing large-scale migration in CHT and beyond. Since Bangladesh gained independence from Pakistan in 1971, Jummas have been experienced multiple crises—ethnic attacks, militarization, and land confiscation. As a result, many Jummas not only attempt to escape to other cities but also migrate abroad, including to Canada. This thesis explores the factors related to Jumma migration to Canada since the 1970s. Although Jummas view Canada as a secure and better place, it is not devoid of socio-cultural struggles. After migrating to Canada, they face many challenges related to weather, employment, language, and cultural environment and see positive and negative changes in their lives in terms of political and socio-economic security in Canada. However, by performing the traditional rituals and celebrating the festivals, Jummas impactfully build a diasporic community in a multicultural society. In Canada, when Jummas see the discrimination against Indigenous Peoples, they can often relate based on their previous experiences and find similarities in terms of traditional beliefs and practices. Thus, the study not only presents the experience of Jummas in a multicultural society, but also represents the experience of immigrants who were Indigenous minorities in their home country. For this study, 11 Jumma respondents from three different Canadian cities have been interviewed and grounded theory methodology has been consulted to conduct the research