Latest Heritage Saskatchewan Video about Living Culture - a Bengali pioneer story

Saskatchewan Heritage - Canada 150 video series - from Heritage Saskatchewan 

2017 marks the 150th anniversary of Canada’s confederation. Commemorative events like Canada 150 invite us to consider how our heritage has shaped the present, to learn lessons from the past, and to discuss what we would like our future to be. In recognition of Canada 150, Heritage Saskatchewan invites you to explore the diverse living heritage of our province through a video series, launched July 1st. Every two weeks until the end of the year, a new video will be released that examines some facet of Saskatchewan’s rich living heritage. These videos are not a definitive collection of Saskatchewan’s heritage in 2017, but rather a sample of the diverse practices, beliefs, and experiences of Saskatchewan people. Visit this page often for updates, and subscribe to our YouTube channel!

"If Nothing Else, Our Culture is About Food"

In Saskatchewan, when we think of pioneers, we often imagine the familiar story of the white European/Canadian/American homesteader arriving on the prairie a century ago and more to build a new life out of the harsh elements. Though this has become the dominant narrative, it's only one of many versions of the pioneer story in Saskatchewan. I was put in touch with  Sabreena Haque, a teacher at Regina Huda School,several months ago by the Multicultural Council of Saskatchewan. When we first spoke, I made the mistake of assuming that Sabreena was a newcomer to Canada. She quickly corrected me, telling me that she was born and raised in Regina, the daughter of Bengali immigrants. Her  parents were pioneers to the prairies.

When Dr. Anwarul and Mrs. Nilufar Haque arrivied in Saskatchewan in the mid-1960s, they were one of only a handful of Muslim couples in Regina. Everything about Saskatchewan was new to them, and the Haques had to learn how to live in a new land. For Nilufar, this was a particular challenge. She had grown up in Bangladesh as a well-educated girl who had never done a lot of domestic work. In her new life in Regina, she had to learn to cook, clean and do laundry. And cooking traditional Bengali food that is halal (permissible according to Islamic law) required a great deal of extra work, and a lot of creativity. Since there were so few Muslim families in Saskatchewan at the time, halal ingredients were impossible to buy. This meant that Anwarul and Nilufar had to butcher their own meat in the basement of their home. Nilufar also recalls that in those days, telephoning back home to Bangladesh was very expensive, so when she had a question for her mother about a particular dish, she couldn't just give her a call. Cooking required a lot of trial and error - hallmark of all pioneers!

The Haques quickly adjusted to life in Saskatchewan and raised their children as Canadians strong in their Muslim faith. Sabreena and her husband are now raising their own children in the Haque family home. Anwarul passed away several years ago, and Nilufar lives with her daughter, son-in-law, and grandchildren. When it's time to prepare meals, Nilufar has now stepped back to allow her daughter Sabreena to carry on the tradition. But as we will see in the video, she still has lots of advice to impart to the younger generations of her famly.

Back in late August, I had the privilege of spending time with members of the Haque/Ashique family while they prepared both a traditional goat curry for Eid al-Adha celebrations, as well as a more contemporary Thai Red Curry for their regular, weeknight supper. I had a lot of fun filming this video, which unfortunately could not capture the fragrant aromas of homemade curry simmering on the stove. As always, it was difficult to edit so much interesting information down to a few short minutes, but in this video I hope you will enjoy the inter-generational dynamics between Nilufar, Sabreena, Raeesa, and Sakeenah. To apply a couple of well-worn phrases, sometimes it might seem like there's "too many cooks in the kitchen," but really, "many hands make light work." I truly believe there is no better place to learn about culture and heritage than in the kitchen. In fact, I would argue that it's in the kitchen that much of our living heritage is passed down through families - especially when it's time to prepare for an important holiday.

Enjoy!