Cam Sojan oo helay asalkiisii Sikh ka dib markii uu sheekooyin been abuur ah ka keenay qoyskiisa
Ururka Taariikhda Degmada Irwin ayaa muhiim u ahaa soo saarista xaqiiqada asalka qoyska Sojan
Cam Sojan, oo intii badnayd noloshiisa aan aqoon u lahayn taariikhda qoyskiisa, ayaa helay asalkiisii Sikh ee loo maray xafladaha taariikhiga ah ee ururka Dongara. Wuxuu yiri 'I'm 55 and up until 54 I had no idea where I came from.'
Soo saaridii asalka qoyska
Sannadkii 2025, xilligii uu Cam Sojan baadhayay naftiisa, ayuu la kulmay Ururka Taariikhda Degmada Irwin ee Dongara, oo ah koox dadka deegaanka ah oo ilaalinaya taariikhda Midwest. Ururku wuxuu hayaa xafladaha iyo walxaha muhaajiriinta badnaa ee degaanka yimid.
Cam wuxuu yiri 'I had all sorts of stories I had confected about who I was and where I came from but I didn't really know.' Markii dambe wuxuu ogaaday inuu la xidhiidho Sojan Singh, oo ahaa nin Sikh ah oo yimid dhamaadkii qarnigii 19aad. Ururku waxay hayeen macluumaad ku saabsan awoowgiis iyo awoowgiis oo uu aan waligiis la kulmin.
Isku xirka qoyska iyo dhulk
Cam Sojan wuxuu u safray Perth si uu ula kulmo qaraabada luntay, oo ay ku jiraan ilmo-adeer iyo abti. Wuxuu yiri 'My connection to the land and connection to the people couldn't be stronger.' Kadibna wuxuu xaqiijiyay inuu xasilay oo uu garan yahay ujeeddadiisa.
Wuxuu yiri 'I'm so proud … it [makes me want] to really fight the fight of multiculturalism and embrace the heritage of multiculturalism in Australia.' Wuxuu kaloo xusay saameynta siyaasadda White Australia ee carruurta isirka isku jira, isagoo yiri 'The wave of the White Australia policy really took hold of these interracial children who were half-Irish, half-Indian and were subject to the difficulties of growing up in Australia.'
Qiimaha shaqada ururka taariikhda
Xoghayaha Ururka Taariikhda Degmada Irwin, Trish Parker, ayaa tiri 'To think that we've been a small part in putting Cam's story together for him; it's an enormous honour.' Waxay kaloo sheegtay 'You do a lot of work behind the scenes … conserving objects and cataloguing them.'
Parker waxay tiri 'Our collection is so big and there are so many stories in there.' Waxayna ku daray 'It's really taught me the importance of looking after those objects because of the stories they tell, not just for their family but for the community as well.' Shaqadoodu waxay muujinaysaa farqi bulshada.
Cam Sojan learned at age 54 that his great-grandfather was a Sikh immigrant, thanks to the Irwin District Historical Society.
Cam Sojan grew up without knowledge of his family background and later made up stories about his origins. At age 55, he learned the truth through journals at the Irwin District Historical Society in Dongara. He is directly descended from a Sikh immigrant who arrived in the late 19th century.
Discovery through local history records
In 2025, during a period of soul-searching, Mr Sojan found the Irwin District Historical Society, a group in Dongara preserving the Midwest's past through immigrants' journals and objects. The society held details about his great-grandfather and grandfather, whom he never met.
Mr Sojan said: 'I am directly related to Sojan Singh who was the Sikh Indian gentleman who arrived in the late 19th century when there was a wave of Sikh and Afghans who arrived at that time.' He said: 'Sadly I think my father carried a bit of shame about his origin through his whole life.'
Reconnecting with relatives and heritage
Mr Sojan travelled across the country to Perth to meet long-lost relatives, including cousins and an uncle. He said: 'My connection to the land and connection to the people couldn't be stronger.' He added: 'I'm centred and grounded by knowing where I come from and what my purpose is.'
He stated: 'I'm so proud … it [makes me want] to really fight the fight of multiculturalism and embrace the heritage of multiculturalism in Australia.' Mr Sojan noted the White Australia policy affected interracial children, and his father suppressed early childhood shadows.
Society values preservation work
Irwin District Historical Society secretary Trish Parker said: 'To think that we've been a small part in putting Cam's story together for him; it's an enormous honour.' She added that behind-the-scenes conserving and cataloguing makes a difference.
Parker said: 'Our collection is so big and there are so many stories in there.' She noted the importance of looking after objects for the stories they tell, not just for families but for the community as well.
