Jason Momoa‘s new Apple TV+ series, Chief of War, is a milestone moment for Hawaiian culture and representation.

Co-created, written and led by Hawaiian native Momoa, along with Thomas Pa’a Sibbett, the drama tells the story of unification while trying to offset Western colonization during the late 18th century and debuted on Friday.

The nine-episode series centers around Momoa’s character, Ka’iana, a real-life Hawaiian chief who was pivotal in the unification of the island. Due to his travels to the Western world, he was respected as a warrior and a leader who shared news of the foreseen colonization. However, the politics of the island and uncertainties around the outsiders created conflict between Ka’iana and fellow leaders.

At the core of the turmoil was his complex relationship with the future King Kamehameha, portrayed by Kaina Makua.

Filling the shoes of a King

The portrayal of King Kamehameha was Makua’s first role, and he was more than ready to fill the big shoes of a king.

“It was just like being a leader, as I am in my community. I coach a bunch of kids; we educate a bunch of kids in my community, and I took it from that standpoint and emulated anything and everything that I felt Kamehameha would do,” Makua told Blavity’s Shadow and Act in a recent interview.

Although Makua, a former Kauai kalo (taro) farmer, wasn’t a fan of King Kamehameha’s treacherous ways, he gained a new respect for someone who had to lead despite negative perceptions.

“I began to see how people can easily misjudge and misinterpret your decisions that you make, whether it’s right or wrong. And so once I became a leader, I really started to resonate with him,” he said.

Diving into the true story of ‘Chief of War’

Beside Makua in his role as the ambivalent king was his advisor and war chief, Moku, played by Moses Goods. The theater veteran bore the responsibility of enforcing King Kamehameha’s strategies, whether deemed “right or wrong.”

“It was a very difficult path. It involved a lot of different things — balancing the new world, our existing world and marrying his daughter off,” Goods said, adding, “But he believed fully that he was doing not only what he needed to do but what the Akua, what the gods needed him to do. He was fully aware of what he was doing, and he believed in it.”

Chief of War is not only a captivating story but an authentic depiction of oral storytelling and tradition connected to Hawaiian history. The series features accurate characterization of Hawaiian dialect, sacred artifacts and traditional practices. Its commitment to accuracy was also evident in how it presented its female characters.

Luciane Buchanan, known for her starring role as Rose Larkin in the Netflix hit The Night Agent, shines as Ka’ahumanu, whose proximity to the inner political circle puts her in the middle of the conflict as she navigates her path to becoming queen.

Polynesian actress Te Ao o Hinepehinga takes on the role of Kupuohi, the wife of Ka’iana, who stands beside her husband through his travels and battles. Both women felt the honor and responsibility of portraying such strong roles, as well as pride in how the story depicts women.

“It’s a dream come true to play someone like that. I just don’t think we get the opportunity as women to do something like that. And the writers really found moments in the history to highlight those parts of her character,” Buchanan said of her “cunning and pragmatic” character, Ka’ahumanu.

The characters the women portray onscreen display a silent mental strength as an outstanding balance to the physical dominance of their male counterparts.

The effort to embody the women was an extra one for Hinepehinga, who required a language coach during filming to perfect Kupuohi’s dialect.

“I’ve been very privileged to be born and raised in a community that’s very strong,” she said. “I was raised in the language and surrounded by it my whole life,” she mentioned, noting that she often found the immersion to be a hindrance, despite initially thinking it would be a benefit. “I would literally have our language coach just in the background going ‘Wrong island, wrong island; you’re in Hawaii.'”

Why ‘Chief of War’ is so authentic

The authentic representation in Chief of War was highly intentional. With a mostly Polynesian cast, the series provides a genuine and accurate outlook on the often overlooked history of Hawaii.

One person who understands the magnitude of the story is Temuera Morrison. The legendary actor is revered for his role as Jango Fett in the Star Wars multimedia franchise and for voicing the role of Chief Tui in Disney’s Moana.

In the series, Morrison plays the shrewd King Kahekili of Maui, which required the actor to tap into his dark side.

“Kahekili was a strategist,” Morrison remarked. “He was manipulative in his ways. He would, you know, use people. You might think he’s helping this guy out in battle, but later on, he’s going to double-cross you, so he’s someone you couldn’t really trust,” he said.

Morrison continued sharing the mindset of his character, known as the “God of Thunder.”

“He kind of transcended himself above these mere mortals sometimes and would look at everybody from a godly perspective and put them above everybody. He was like lightning in the sky, thunder to the earth, which would come down and destroy everybody now and then.”

Morrison added that aside from the excitement he felt after receiving the call from Momoa about the role, he was overjoyed to be part of a cast and production that would celebrate Polynesian people, culture and stories and “very, very proud” of the work they’ve done.

“I’m just one of the paddlers on the canoe,” Morrison stated. He continued, “We’re on a journey. We’re awakening, again, Polynesia to some of the historical, cultureal things that are important and how these islands got settled,” adding, “Everywhere I go, I see my brother, I see my auntie, I see my cousins and all those corners of Polynesia, but we’ve all been affected by some other power. So, here we are today going back in time, telling an authentic historical story based on these islands. So, it’s quite exciting.”

Chief of War is now streaming on Apple TV+.