A collaborative project about the whakapapa between the Hōkioi (Haast Eagle (NZ) ext. 1400) and the Vwōhali (Golden Eagle, Cherokee). This work connects two peoples, two nations, two countries and two dance companies from either sides of the world, to celebrate the lives of these two illustrious birds. The Hōkioi and the Vwōhali are revered by both their native cultures as the ‘Messengers to the Heavens’, and therefore it is with pride that this project honours them.
Hōkioi, the ‘Tuakana’ or older sibling, that dominated the skies of Aotearoa and the Vwōhali, the ‘Teina’ (younger sibling) that lives in the USA., are brought to life through stories, myths and legends influenced by waiata (song), karakia (incantations) and haka (dance), – traditions of storytelling felt through modern technology of today’s society – bringing the old and the new into the future.