Hiding the Huia

Huia e huia, tangata kotahi! Huia your destiny is to bring everyone together! – Māori Proverb Once a rare resident of New Zealand’s native forests, the huia is a national bird that tragically became extinct in the early 1900s. This work is a tribute to the huia, representing its gradual appearance and disappearance as it flits in and out of the forest. The poignant call of the male and female huia, as remembered by Māori elder Henare Hāmana, can be heard repeating throughout the orchestra. The huia is considered by some as a symbol of New Zealand’s beauty and spirituality. To yearn for the return of the huia is also to hope for the recovery and reconciliation of cultural taonga that were lost in the scarred history of Aotearoa.