A HALF-DAY COURSE ON FEBRUARY 15, 2014
Do you have ancestors of East Indian descent who lived in the British West Indies? If so, this half-day course will help you to trace your East Indian heritage through historical records. The course will present information relevant to these countries: Guyana, Trinidad, Jamaica, Grenada, St. Lucia, St. Kitts and St. Vincent.
The course will cover the basic principles of research, how to understand indenture contracts and learn about the journey across the kala pani, what to look for in vital records, church records, parish registers and much more. Historical timelines will be introduced to help pinpoint when and where East Indians were sent in the British West Indies. There will also be presentation of information about online websites, the kinds of records available in GTA libraries and what is the essential information in the archives in the British West Indies.
Instructor: Pooran Bridgelal
Pooran Bridgelal graduated from the University of Toronto with a degree in Caribbean Studies. He has spearheaded several Genealogy workshops in Toronto and Trinidad. In 2012 he published an article regarding ‘Slavery and East Indian Indentureship” in the 2012 Caribbean Students Union Journal at the University of Toronto. Pooran is also a collector of rare books, maps and postcards from the West Indies.
Accessibility
North York Central Library is wheelchair accessible. For more information about our policies on accessibility, visit our policies page.
Registration
To register for this course, click on the green “Buy Tickets” near the top of the page. For information about our policies on registration, cancellation and refunds, late registration and at-the-door registration, visit our policies page.