Huia Come Home

Written by J. Ruka

Narrated by J. Ruka

Once the sacred guardian of New Zealand’s native forests, the huia was a symbol of the land’s unique beauty and spirituality. The rare bird’s tragic extinction in the early 1900s represents a shot to the heart of Aotearoa (New Zealand) and is a potent metaphor for a country’s conflicted history. Using the story of the untimely extinction of the huia, J. Ruka offers a fresh perspective on the narrative of Aotearoa; a tale of two cultures, warring worldviews, and the things we lost in translation. Revisiting the early missionaries, the transformative message of the gospel and the cultural missteps of the Treaty of Waitangi, Huia Come Home invites us to reconnect with the unique story offered by the indigenous M?ori lens. In relearning our history, we might just find a shared hope for the future and a recovery of national treasures once thought to be extinct.
Audio Production by Te Umu Nui.
Music by J. Ruka.
Re-creation of the huia call by Henare H?mana (Te Aitanga-a-M?haki, Ng?ti Porou) Recorded by the New Zealand Broadcasting Service 1949. Copyright Ng? Taonga Sound & Vision.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Author's Republic
• Release date: May 22, 2019
• ISBN: 9781982754280

Reviews for Huia Come Home

[Sarah Tastard · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is one of the best books I’ve ever read (listened to, technically). I’ve always wondered what it would be like to see Christianity and New Zealand history from a different cultural perspective, and this book does that perfectly. I have learned so much! It is a very confrontational book, but justly so.

[Rachel Bates · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Depth and range of thought, freshness of the bicultural prophetic approach, and creatively challenging a way forward for our nation. A beautiful book.

[Nigel Hadfield · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Excellent book. Weaving together Religion, Māori and Western Cultures well.