In Chief of War, Momoa plays Kaʻiana, a legendary figure in Hawaiian history. He was the first chief to travel beyond the islands and lived during the turbulent time when Kamehameha the Great fought to unify the Hawaiian islands under his rule.

Much of what visitors know about Hawaii is rooted in that colonial history. Then came the movies and TV shows told through the lens of outsiders, perpetuating those stereotypes an

Chief of War star Jason Momoa recently revealed that most of the series is in Hawaiian, with English appearing gradually in later episodes. Following the show’s release on Apple TV+, Momoa explained that he and co-creator Thomas Paʻa Sibbett insisted on using ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi to preserve cultural and historical authenticity,