Defending Traditions

Jason Momoa's epic historical drama Chief of War is a reclamation of identity, told by Polynesians in their own language

- JANEÉ BOLDEN

IT’S NOT EVERY DAY THAT HOLLYWOOD HANDS THE keys to an epic, large-scale historical drama over to an Indigenous creative team, but with Apple TV+'s Chief of War, Jason Momoa and Thomas Pa’a Sibbett seized their opportunity and built a breathtaking cultural monument.

The sweeping nine-episode saga, premiering August 1, centers on the unification of the Hawaiian islands at the turn of the 18th century, an era fraught with tribal warfare, political upheaval and the looming threat of Western colonization.

At its heart, Chief of War is more than a story about battles won or lost. It’s a reclamation of cultural identity, told through the eyes of Polynesian people by Polynesian people, in their language. “It’s mind-blowing to be able to tell this incredible story of my ancestors and to do it with an amazing cast and brilliant team behind the camera,” Momoa says in the show’s production notes. “Ka‘iana knew what was coming from the outside world. He was fearless, devoted, a visionary. His journey is full of action, drama, and romance—but it's ultimately about love for his people.”

Ka‘iana (Momoa) is a complex figure in Hawaiian history who has been both celebrated and condemned by historians for his shifting allegiances in the tumultuous years before unification. In Chief of War, Ka‘iana is portrayed as a man struggling between tradition, ambition and survival in the face of rapid change. A former war chief returning home after years abroad, he finds himself caught between competing chiefs, colonial powers and his own internal battles with loyalty and legacy.

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