Aarisha Elvi Haider

Hello, my name is Aarisha, a first generation Bangladeshi-Muslim who currently resides in the unceded territories of  xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish), and səl̓ilw̓ətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Peoples. As muslims, we are always taught to obey the rules of the lands we are on, which strives me to reflect on my positionality, and shift in privilege since my move to so-called Canada. I also try to stay mindful of how to hold space as a first generation immigrant, and cannot help but feel an insurmountable amount of gratitude for how these wonderful lands and communities have treated me. This pushes me to become a better ally, better ancestor and a community member. As an immigrant on unceded territories, I pay my respect to the communities who are the traditional stewards and knowledge keepers of the land who are constantly fighting to keep our environment safe. Without our Indigenous neighbours, there is no community, there is  no Climate Justice, there is no Canada. My main intention as a researcher is to make information accessible, to raise awareness that challenge and inspire readers towards mobilizing but more importantly, to recognize that allyship and participation needs attention, continuous education and strong solidarity. My shift in privilege only grants me this perspective as a Bangladeshi-Canadian Muslim woman which is relational to my experiences only, and naturally the content I contributed to Righting History by no means are intended to speak on behalf of Black, Indigenous nor communities of colour. The purpose of this work is to bring additional grounding, expanding our consciousness and moving forward as a collective. The hope is rooted within strong connections, kindness, story-telling and intercultural dialogue--all of which shakes up the establishment.