In commemoration of Indian Arrival Day, the Heritage Library at NALIS hosted a lecture and exhibition titled, “Genealogy of East Indians in Trinidad and Tobago” on Wednesday May 6 at the National Library, Port of Spain.

The lecture, delivered by Genealogist Shamshu Deen, was open to students and the general public. Deen, who is also a member of the National Trust of Trinidad and Tobago, focused his discussion on the logical tracing of family lines and ancestry of East Indian genealogy in Trinidad and Tobago. He highlighted the benefits of conducting genealogical research and emphasized that it relied on oral and written information from family members as well as primary documents from authentic sources such as churches, the Heritage Library and the National Archives, to name a few.

Following Deen’s presentation on genealogy, students were invited to play a game of “Pick a Pan” via a random draw, where questions were asked based on East Indian culture. Once answered correctly, they were eligible to pick one of three pans to win a prize.

The exhibition, mounted in the News Media Room, Ground Floor National Library, was opened for viewing on the same day and will run until June 5. ;It showcases the voyages from India to Trinidad (1845 – 1917); cooking utensils brought by the Indians to Trinidad; the contributions of Indo-Trinbagonian authors to the literary landscape as well as some prominent Indo-Trinbagonian nationals.  Members of the public are invited to view the exhibition.