Sanskriti Bhardwaj: Paper Boats/ Stormy Currents

<p dir="ltr">Aotearoa-New Zealand’s ties to Indian history of colonialism reverberate at the sound of many of its place-names: ‘Auckland’ and ‘Hastings’ were both Governor-Generals in India. Despite connected histories, scholarship speaks to the invisibilisation of Indians in Aotearoa-New Zealand’s narrative. Centring their experiences of belonging and place, my research brings to focus the realities of Aotearoa-New Zealand’s primary schools through the stories of women teachers of Indian ethnicity. Educational literature on Asian teachers in settler colonial contexts along with my current engagement in fieldwork reveals their resourcefulness – like a paper boat, they carry the needs and hopes of their students and communities. However, the paper boat navigates stormy currents of structural invisibility, histories of colonialism, and patriarchy, often without necessary supports. Through my research, I bring to surface the multiple currents shaking the paper boat and how it navigates towards more relational destinations. Credits: Objects inside paper boat: participating teachers. </p>