Stephen Goedhart | Keynote Lezing

The Indos: An Overlooked and Misunderstood Dutch Eurasian Ethnic Group – Identity, Memory, and Cultural Preservation in The Indo Under the Maple Tree

Thursday 11 June 2026 | 10:00–11:15
Online Viewers in Europe: 16:00–17:15

This lecture explores The Indo Under the Maple Tree, a literary work offering a rare and poignant examination of the Indo (Indische Nederlander), a Dutch Eurasian ethnic group from the former Dutch East Indies, also known as Indo-Europeans, Indo-Dutch, Dutch-Indo, or Dutch Indonesians. The book examines the immigrant experience in Canada from the 1970s to the 1990s, highlighting identity, heritage, and resilience, and situates the narrative within broader discussions of an overlooked and misunderstood diaspora.

Rather than simply recounting the story, the lecture emphasizes cultural preservation and the intergenerational experiences shaped by the Bersiap Period—a time of violence and upheaval immediately after World War II, when Indos, Totoks (full-blooded Dutch), Chindos (Chinese Indonesians), Moluccans, as were Indonesians accused of collaborating with the Dutch, during Indonesia’s struggle for independence. It examines how Indo families, uprooted from the former Dutch East Indies, repatriated to the Netherlands, and eventually settled in Canada, preserving the authenticity of their Indo identity through dishes distinct from Dutch (Netherlands) and Indonesian cuisines, as well as through etiquette and values. Some aspects of their culture overlap with Dutch (Netherlands) customs, as Indos were considered Dutch in the former Dutch East Indies—including festivals, language, religion, and certain foods—and with Indonesian cuisine, yet they remain uniquely Indo. They maintain traditions such as Pasar Malams, Indo family celebrations, and backyard satay gatherings—practices that anchor identity in a multicultural environment.

Attendees will explore how themes of trauma, pride, and resilience shape cultural identity. By connecting historical truths with lived experiences, this work offers insight into an ethnic group often overlooked in discussions of diaspora and encourages reflection on memory, identity, and cultural continuity.