The highly anticipated Apple TV+ series Chief of War debuted to rave reviews on August 1, bringing to life the story of warrior Kaʻiana and the rise of Kamehameha ʻEkahi (King Kamehameha) as he fights to unify the islands in the late 1700s. Set across nine episodes, the series is a groundbreaking portrayal of pre-contact Hawaiʻi, featuring ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi (Hawaiian language) and a predominantly Polynesian cast.
Related story: Jason Momoa casts UH alum in Chief of War TV series, July 2025
To help viewers connect with the real history behind the drama, Mehana Kaʻiama Makaʻinaʻi, a Hawaiian studies instructor at UH Mānoa’s Hawaiʻinuiākea School of Hawaiian Knowledge, has teamed up with Hawaiʻi Public Radio (HPR) storyteller Russell Kalani Subiono to co-host Feathers and Fire. The new podcast unpacks each episode of Chief of War, offering historical insight and personal reflection along the way.
UH News sat down with Makaʻinaʻi to talk story about the series, the podcast, and how this moment is opening new doors for deeper understanding and visibility of Hawaiian history.
1. How are you feeling about being part of this special podcast?
“It’s really an honor and I’m excited to be a part of the HPR podcast. Russell Subiono is a wonderful host to be working with. We’ve been having a lot of fun together, and we’re both research minded, so we like to approach each podcast with that as a focus. Whether it’s researching history, behind the scenes work or an actor, it’s something that comes naturally for both of us and is definitely incorporated into our discussions. Russell loves the movies. He’s a cinephile and I’m more of a storyteller with a history and cultural background so we go together nicely. We kind of approach the podcast with that mindset while also asking critical questions to make us think a little bit more and explore topics on a deeper level. Russell is very experienced in radio and podcasts, you can find quite a bit of his stories, reporting and information online and I’m a newbie to this world, I’m much more familiar with the UH classroom.”
2. Your overall reaction to a Hollywood TV series focused on Hawaiian history?
“I’ll be very honest, my initial reaction was one of hesitation. Will Hollywood take our histories and our stories and exploit them and change them in ways that don’t always benefit our people? So that’s always a legitimate and underlying concern. I believe we’ve all seen Hollywood do that to our own and other cultures before. So we want to be protective of our knowledge, stories and people. However, I have also come to the realization that these types of projects can be incredibly important and valuable. When I think of Chief of War, I now think of all the cultural experts, the language practitioners, the artists, the actors from Oceania, the writers, mea mea (etc) and I’m incredibly impressed and excited. This project, as far as I know, did a really good job of coming into Hawaiʻi and using our talent both on and off the screen, and that’s so wonderful. I think creating these types of really meaningful jobs, where our history and our language can shine, is valuable. And we also have to remind ourselves that these episodes are based on history but not meant to be our history lessons. That these characters and events sometimes are dramatized or altered or presented in a specific context for the purpose of the show. But I’ve learned that if a show can inspire us to do research, take a class, develop our own understanding then that in and of itself is a huge benefit. There are areas of concern that both Russell and myself share in regards to Chief of War but there are also areas where we appreciate and enjoy the decisions made.”
3. The character Kaʻiana, portrayed by actor Jason Momoa, is central to the show. For some in Hawaiʻi, it may be the first time they’re hearing this warrior’s name. What can you tell us about his legacy?
“I thought it was a really good idea to focus the main character on someone other than Kamehameha. Local residents and many outsiders have heard of Kamehameha as well as goddesses like Pele, right? Those are big figures that oftentimes many people have some familiarity with. So I like that the show chose to use another historical figure who maybe doesn’t get as much attention.
I think with Kaʻiana, some of the important parts of him as a historical figure is that he was an early traveler from Hawaiʻi who left our islands and learned about other places and learned about other systems of living. I believe that like Kamehameha, he was someone who was able to find value in certain items that Europeans had–primarily weapons and guns, but also was very true to his identity as a Hawaiian. Our kūpuna (elders) were interested in what others had to offer, but we weren’t interested in saying, ‘Oh, we want to be just like you. Oh, we want to do everything you do. Oh, everything you have is better.’ No. They understood that there were many things in our lives, in our culture that should and would be prioritized but that there were also areas where there was room for trade and cultural exchanges. I feel like Kaʻiana is an interesting character in which perhaps these ideas will be explored.
I also believe that Kaʻiana showcases how Hawaiians were not just blindly loyal to their chiefs. As we saw in the first episode of the series he parts ways with Kahekili. Our ancestors were remarkably loyal to their aliʻi (chiefs), if their aliʻi deserved that loyalty. Go ask Kumu Lilikalā Kameʻeleihiwa about the numerous stories of chiefs being replaced by the community because they were no longer seen as pono (righteous). This is a great background lesson to think about, as well.”
4. In the first episode, we see Kaʻiana called back to Maui to decide if he’ll join King Kahekili in war. For viewers unfamiliar with this era of Hawaiian history, how close is this to what really happened?
“We do know that Kahekili of Maui did in fact invade Oʻahu. The battle shown in the first episode is based on this historical event. Maybe Chief of War changed some of the dynamics and sped up the history but the battle scene is based on the invasion of Oʻahu. Russell and I actually talked about this in our episode #1 podcast.
I started to kind of look at it from a slightly different perspective, the perspective that this is an interpretation of history, so it doesn’t have to be 100% accurate, and it shouldn’t be the go to place for the world to learn about Hawaiʻi, but it can be an inspiration for people to learn more.”
5. How well do you think the show reflects the adornments and materials worn during that time in Hawaiian history?
“So I’m not an expert in feather work creation. I used to work at the Bishop Museum, so I had the privilege of being around quite a few of our collections and what I think is Chief of War did a beautiful job of representing the ingenuity, creativity and dedication of our people to their crafts. When I look at history, and I look at the pieces I’ve seen in the museum and if I tried to visualize what it maybe looked like on a larger scale in traditional Hawaiʻi, I think Chief of War brought that image to life for me. Not just with the feathers but with the kapa-like outfits, the weapons, the adornments. It’s all really exquisite. I do know that there may be critics who say, ‘Well, maybe it’s the wrong colors, or maybe the way they wear them all the time might be not exactly how it was done in the past.’ And perhaps that’s true. But this is also a show, and it’s visually stunning to see these on display in almost every scene, right? And even if the ahuʻula (feather capes), the malo (loincloths) or the weapons aren’t worn or utilized exactly how it was traditionally, I don’t mind it because, again, we’re getting to see these items which highlight really cool and sophisticated aspects of our culture.”
6. What are your hopes for how viewers will engage with Hawaiian history after watching Chief of War and listening to your podcast?
“My hope is that Chief of War will inspire viewers to engage more in our culture and history. To take a Hawaiian studies class, to start learning ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi, to look into research and publications, to support Hawaiian initiatives and programs, to create…I hope people don’t expect this show to be an all knowing history lesson but to use it to ask questions and then go after the information. I also hope that it serves as an avenue for more creative projects to be responsibly developed, funded and produced. Are those expectations too big? When you’re dealing with the stories of our chiefs and gods nothing should be considered too big.”
Episodes of podcast Feathers and Fire will be released Saturdays through September 20 on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and HPR’s website.
