Jason Momoa’s ‘Chief of War’ is a fiercely Indigenous representation of Hawai’i

The show—which premieres Friday—features an ensemble of characters based on real Hawaiian historical figures, including Queen Ka’ahumanu played by Luciane Buchanan. “This show is a rarity and not something that you see every day,” Buchanan says. “So much in auditions, you feel like you need to fit yourself into these characters that you see a lot of the time, but this show was so specific. It's a Polynesian historical drama made by Apple TV+, and while we have historical dramas back home, it was different to see it on this scale, with Jason Momoa's name attached. From day one, my gosh, it was so exciting!”

From left, Kaina Makua as King Kamehameha and Luciane Buchanan as Queen Ka’ahumanu.

Apple TV+

Moses Goods—who plays Ka’ahumanu’s father, Moku, based on high chief Keʻeaumoku Pāpaʻiahiahi—says, “I’ve been telling Hawaiian stories for almost 30 years, so for me this is something that I dreamed would come and I knew would come. And so now that it's finally here, I'm ecstatic to be a part of this project, where we're telling the story on such a huge level. We didn't have this growing up, and this generation will, so they’re going to continue telling our stories in an exponential way. This is just the beginning.”

The show is monumental in it being a majority Pacific Islander cast on a major streaming platform, especially as most of the series is in traditional Hawaiian language. It’s a standout in representation inside an industry lacking authentic depictions of these cultures. “When they decided to cast for this project, they looked right across Polynesia. We’ve got Samoans, Tongans, Tahitians, Maori from New Zealand, and Hawaiians,” Temuera Morrison, who plays Ka’iana’s rival King Kahekili, says. “It’s been quite a journey, and this was a cultural and awakening experience to all of us as Polynesians.”

Moses Goods as Queen Ka’ahumanu's father, Moku, based on high chief Keʻeaumoku Pāpaʻiahiahi, in "Chief of War."

Apple TV+

The series also holds nothing back when depicting Hawai’i’s horrific colonial history, crucial in telling the authentic stories of what Hawaiian resilience truly looked like. “If you look at Hawaii on screen, you're gonna see Hawaii Five-O, Magnum P.I., Moana, Jurassic Park, but none of them have really taken the time to examine what actually has happened in Hawai’i and acknowledge the Indigenous culture here,” Cliff Curtis, who plays Keoua, says. “And so it took Hawaiians to do it. It had to take Pa’a and Momoa to do it. So we’re very privileged to stand alongside them and to help them tell that story.”

The show notably had 15 Native Hawaiian and Polynesian cultural practitioners working alongside Momoa to ensure the show’s accuracy. Momoa even personally asked Kaina Makua, a kalo farmer and cultural educator from Kaua’i, to play a lead role on the show as King Kamehameha—Makua’s first-ever acting gig. “By being in this show, I wanted to be a part of the kuleana: Our responsibility, our duty, to showcase Hawai’i, our language, culture, connection to ’āina, and connection to people,” Makua says. 

From left, Jason Momoa and Temuera Morrison in "Chief of War."

Apple TV+

The cast all share similar sentiments of viewing the series as more of a calling than just a role—a continuation of the Indigenous cultural preservationist practices of storytelling as a means of keeping histories alive. “The world needs more Indigenous storytelling, and we are the original storytellers. So just give us the platform, and we'll make magic, I promise,” Te Ao O Hinepehinga, who plays Kupuohi, says. “As Polynesians we’ve been keeping our stories alive through music, and dance, and stories around the campfire, so it’s only natural for us to eventually end up doing it on the silver screen. We’re taking the old and bringing it into the new, and giving it a new lens for the world to appreciate.”

Makua adds, “We need to create our own new ceremonies at this time. And this show is a way to do so, and bring our history to life for the world to see, not just our people.”

Te Ao o Hinepehinga as Kupuohi in "Chief of War."

Apple TV+

This series is a clear labor of love by its entire team, emerging at a time when the world needs its message the most. As the battle for land rights and sovereignty in the face of imperial powers continues in Indigenous communities across the globe, this authentic depiction of the unification of Hawai’i in times of struggle is powerful. “Indigenous peoples are still being asked to homogenize,” Curtis says. “It's great to have our languages brought back to life in this show, and our stories told reflecting upon the human struggle to live in peace or to live in war, to live alongside one another, or to struggle with or against one another. The things we love, our families, our land, our way of life…these are the things that we live and die for. And this is the heart and the soul of the series, through a Hawaiian lens, told at scale in a real, regal and majestic way, and I'm very, very proud and humbled to be a part of it.” 

Makua adds, “And we are definitely hoping Chief of War inspires other Indigenous people across the world to continue to tell their stories, perpetuate their language, and hopefully one day share it with the world on this type of level.”