New York City

This video is a segment of Bnat Houariyat, (the girls of Houara), an all women’s folklore group that plays genres named Chaabi and Houara under the leadership of Khadija el Ouarzazia.

At home in Brooklyn, thousands of miles from the Hunza Valley of northern Pakistan, Amina Bibi passes on the Wakhi language to her 1-year-old son Alhan - through lullabies. In Wakhi with Wakhi and English subtitles by Husniya Khujamyorova. Part of the Lullabies of New York Project, supported by the Brooklyn Arts Council.

In the second video, Jamila Bibi, a Wakhi speaker from the Gojal Valley in the Hunza District of northern Pakistan, tells the story of her family and her language. In Wakhi with Wakhi and English subtitles by Husniya Khujamyorova.

This notion that “all Jains are Gujaratis” is overshadowing the true representation of who Jains are and the religion Jainism. As part of Brooklyn Arts Council's Citizen Folklife initiative, Smrita Jain does fieldwork in order clear up this misconception.

The Non-Gujarati Jains is fieldwork project by videographer and Conceptual artist, Smrita Jain. Project for Citizen Folklife Program, Brooklyn Arts Council.