Global Girmit Museum
Museum in Saweni, Lautoka, Fiji
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Global Girmit Institute (GGI) Museum is co-located with the GGI Library at its headquarters in Saweni, Lautoka, Fiji. Girmit is a corruption of the English word, “agreement” from the indenture agreement the British government made with Indian labourers that consisted of specifics such as the length of stay in Fiji.[1] The labourers came to be known as Girmityas.[2][3]
 Sugar cane cutting and gathering by labourers | |
 | |
| Type | Museum |
|---|---|
| Location | |
| Origins | Global Girmit Museum Project Team |
Area served | Fiji |
| Services | Research and curation of Fiji's Girmitiya national heritage |
| Website | globalgirmitinstitute |
Background
Under the GGI Organisation,[4] the Museum records Girmitiya history in Fiji from 1879 to 1916 when some 60,500 labourers came to Fiji.[5] One of the outcomes of the first conference organised by the GGI in 2017 was the establishment of a girmit museum.
History
The museum has been in the current location in Lautoka since the opening in May 2018 with the introduction of a library.
Collections
The museum will hold a collection of Fiji Indian artefacts as well as recordings of oral history of peoples from different linguistic backgrounds and cultures.[6] Objects relating to farming and the sugar industry, lifestyle, music, food preparation, clothing and religious events[7][8] will be displayed as well as objects that record the impact of colonialism on the islands.[9][10]