Sikh gurdwaras in British Columbia (BC) have long played significant roles in the social and political landscapes of local Sikh and South Asian communities. Utilizing archival and legal research, Bonar Buffam examines how gurdwaras in BC have been embedded in various practices of political citizenship and racial state governance. Dr. Buffam draws on the changing political conditions of these gurdwaras to explore the complex positioning of minority religions in secular state formations.

Bonar Buffam is an Assistant Professor of Sociology at UBC’s Okanagan Campus.