Katha: Stories of the Girmit Women of Fiji explores the lives of the Indian women who were brought from India to Fiji under the British Rule to work on sugarcane plantations.
Katha: Stories of the Girmit Women of Fiji explores the lives of the Indian women who were brought from India to Fiji under the British Rule to work on sugarcane plantations.
The exhibition tells of the hardships faced by the women, their strengths, and how they have empowered following generations.
These stories are shared through music, folklore and oral histories, as well as personal belongings, documents detailing their journey from India to Fiji, and the tools they used on the farms they worked.
The exhibition also includes contemporary artwork made by their descendants demonstrating the impact of the Girmit women and their experiences over generations.
Image: Seema Singh,
E sab amma log ke sapna hai hum
This talk explores the lived reality of Girmit foremothers and their impact through the generations. Dr Narayan leads the first event genetic study looking at the impact of severe famine during the Girmit on our health today. www.ganna-nz.org
A reading of 'Remember' - a poem by Kashmir Kaur, a Fiji-born New Zealander with Indian heritage. Composed on 13 May 2019 to commemorate 100 years of abolishing Fiji's indenture system. Read at Pātaka as part of the Katha: Stories of the Girmit Women of Fiji exhibition.