The Office of Ethnic Communities is proud to have funded ‘MOKAA: The Land of Opportunity - 125 years of Indians in Aotearoa’. Curated by the New Zealand Indian Central Association, this exhibition tells the story from the first Indian presence to pioneering settlers to established communities in New Zealand.
On 1 July 2017, the New Zealand Indian Central Association curated and launched the MOKAA exhibition in Auckland, and has continued on a nationwide tour with over 9000 visitors to date.
On 5 May 2018, over 80 visitors attended the exhibition opening at the Waikato Museum – Te Whare Taonga o Waikato in Hamilton. The day included key note speakers Cherie Meecham (Director of the Waikato Museum), Mr Bikhu Bhana (President of the New Zealand Indian Central Association) and Mary Wilson (Office of Ethnic Communities), with cultural performances by the Akaal Kalsa Sikh Martial Arts, Waikato Punjabi Cultural Club and Kalaniketan Dance Group. The celebrations were concluded by Dr. Todd Nachowitz (Religious Diversity Centre), who gave a presentation on the early presence of Indians in Aotearoa.
The MOKAA Exhibition will be at the Waikato Museum until 1 July 2018, following which it will move to Christchurch.