Despite having a leading role in Chief of War Kaina Makua remains first, and foremost, a kalo farmer

By Moanikeʻala Nabarro

Kaina Makua wasn’t seeking the spotlight when he showed up at a state canoe paddling regatta in 2019. The University of Mānoa alumnus was there doing what he loved, coaching Waimea High School’s paddling team. But among the crowd that day was actor Jason Momoa, who saw something more: the future face of a king.

That night, Momoa approached Makua with a bold idea, asking if he’d consider playing legendary Hawaiʻi ruler Kamehameha the Great in an upcoming film. Makua, a Kauaʻi native, laughed it off, unsure if the Hollywood star was serious.

But Momoa didn’t forget.

“Three years later, in 2022, he called me up and said, ‘I told you; I told you,’ and I was like, ‘What did you tell me?’” Makua said with a laugh. “He said, ‘I told you. You are going to play Kamehameha.’”

Makua stars alongside Momoa in Chief of War, the nine-episode Apple TV+ series that premiered on August 1 and concluded on September 19.

The series tells the story of Kaʻiana, a Kauaʻi aliʻi and warrior who supports Kamehameha’s push to unify the Hawaiian Islands. Filmed in Hawaiʻi and Aotearoa (New Zealand), the series also brings to life other leading figures from that era, such as Kahekili, Kēoua, Keʻeaumoku and Kaʻahumanu.

Makua, a cultural practitioner fluent in ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi and trained as an ʻōlapa hula (dancer), was hesitant at first, not having an acting background.

His days were already full, dedicating his life to empowering ʻōpio in West Kauaʻi through ʻāina rehabilitation and food system revitalization centered around kalo production through his nonprofit, Kumano i ke Ala.

After deep reflection, he eventually embraced the role. He dove deep into research and his own genealogy, which connects him to Kamehameha through his father’s side. Along the way, Makua developed a deeper view of the revered aliʻi, often admired, but also questioned for his approach.

“Coming from his perspective and stepping into this leadership role, it was clear that he did what was necessary for Hawaiʻi, not for himself,” Makua said.

He discovered parallels in his own life.

“If you’re a real leader and you’re really making change, you understand the kuleana and the weight of that. You’re always going to get ridiculed, you’re always gonna be under the microscope.”

On set, Makua found himself surrounded by hundreds of crew members working behind the scenes to bring the historical drama to life. But when the cameras rolled, he leaned into something deeply personal – his own life experiences.

“It’s all everyday emotions for all of us. I mean we all get that. We go up and down. We go left and right. We spin around in circles,” Makua said. “Being around other actors and watching them made my job feel way easier to settle into.”

Makua carries that same sense of purpose into his work off-screen. Within the past decade, he’s poured his mana into growing his nonprofit, expanding from 10 to nearly 100 acres of restored agricultural ʻāina across four sites on Kauaʻi and Oʻahu.

More than 3,500 ʻōpio have taken part in its ʻāina-based education programs. Through its commercial brand, Aloha ʻĀina Poi Co., the group processes and distributes more than 70,000 pounds of fresh poi across Hawaiʻi each year.

“It’s more apparent how disconnected we are as a people – not even as Hawaiians just as human beings. And it’s only getting worse. Kumano i ke Ala is here to uplift our people and to help save the world through aloha ʻāina work – love of the land,” Makua said.

Much of what he now teaches ʻōpio, especially about the many varieties of kalo and traditional planting techniques, comes from the time he spent immersed at Ka Papa Loʻi o Kānewai, the loʻi kalo adjacent to Hawaiʻinuiākea School of Hawaiian Knowledge at UH Mānoa.

Makua often reflects with gratitude on the ʻike passed down to him during that time during which he earned a bachelor’s in Hawaiian studies and a master’s in education and ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi.

As for his acting debut in Chief of War, Makua hopes it opens doors for other native peoples to tell their stories on a global platform.

“I hope that Indigenous populations across the world understand this is a foot in the door. It’s not going to end here. I hope they understand that it’s not just for Hawaiʻi,” Makua said. “This for all Indigenous people because we all get moʻolelo. This is how we all can share.”

This is an updated adaptation of an article originally printed in University of Hawaiʻi News on July 15, 2025, under the title “Jason Momoa Casts UH Alum in Chief of War TV Series.”

Journalist Moanikeʻala Nabarro is a spokesperson with the UH Office of Communications and UH News.

The post A Path of Purpose appeared first on Ka Wai Ola.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity

Chief of War has been extremely successful. It is one of the top shows on Apple TV globally. Has this met or exceeded your hopes for the production?

Our goal was never to [just] get this season out. Our goal is to do more of this. And until somebody says we can, I’m not celebrating. The celebration won’t come until we know enough people have watched it so that we can tell more stories. I do love the fact that it’s sparking a lot of dialogue and questions. Should we tell a story that’s straight down the middle historically? Should we be allowed to move things around? Some people are saying, ‘I love it.’ Other people are saying, ‘I don’t think that this was done right.’ It’s great that we can have this dialogue, you know – challenge the story, challenge me as a storyteller.

The episode based on the 1790 Olowalu massacre was brutal. Talk more about that.

Olowalu is not on Hawaiʻi Island, but for the story, we needed to make a connection to Kaʻiana. When you read through the history, Kaʻiana did suggest that they not allow Metcalf to leave, but Kamehameha told him no. Kaʻiana still boarded Metcalf’s ship to try to kill him one night and was stopped by Kamehameha. This is historically correct. Kaʻiana and Kamehameha argued in Hawaiian on board and Metcalf didn’t know what was going on. He left shortly afterwards for Maui. The reason I didn’t place the massacre in its actual location is because for our story, if something happens far away from our characters, it doesn’t have the same impact as if it happens nearby. It was a necessary event for people to see – not for shock value, but to start the dialogue about what happens when different peoples come together. What can we learn from each other? And how do we avoid things like this happening? History has given us the examples. We know the destruction that can happen when we don’t learn from each other.

What do you hope viewers take away from the massacre scene?

It’s one thing to tell the story. It’s another to see it. And when you see it, you can understand. We didn’t even film it the way it really happened. It was far worse. Far worse. I’m hoping it allows non-Hawaiians to understand a little bit about the generational trauma Hawaiians are talking about; why it’s impactful, why it hurts, so they can begin to understand that Hawaiians are justified in their feelings. For Hawaiians, if anything it’s an affirmation. It was about setting the scene. Now let’s have a conversation and talk about where we go from here.

Talk about ʻŌpūnui. Is he based on anyone from history? He is a very intense character and presence.

He’s a great character. And one of the few created for the show. He serves a very specific purpose – to keep a pulse on the disdain for Kaʻiana, and the fact that there’s always threat looming over him and his family. I always pictured Keala (Kahuanui-Paleka) for this character, and he is perfect. He’s a representation of the warrior culture that has been suppressed and pushed to the side for Hawaiʻi to remain attractive for tourism. Keala is a very strong Kanaka, but he’s got a wonderful heart. He is very aloha. It shows the wealth of talent that we have in Hawaiʻi. He’s not an experienced actor but he’s undeniable when you turn a camera on. Undeniable.

In episode seven, Kupuohi says, “They do not need to be here to hurt us. Kaʻiana, do you not see? We learned their language. We use their weapons. I fear their ways will sweep through us like a sickness and change us as they have changed you.” More foreshadowing?

Certainly. Look, the only benefit that we have as storytellers is when we’re telling a story based on history, we know the outcome. So if you can write to it and present it in the context of characters that can foresee the outcome, it’s quite effective. Again, because we have no guarantee of a second season, we made some decisions to get specific messages out. If we don’t get to tell any more [of this] story, then what we heard Kupuohi say can resonate and sit with us.

Considering the current political landscape, comment on the timing of this series.

I don’t like talking about politics, but if you look at America it’s split down the middle. I think that is orchestrated. I don’t think that we are inherently that confrontational, but it’s happening. I want to believe that the world is primed for healing. We’re ready for it. Get rid of all that noise and the fear-based media. That’s why this is important. When we see each other, when humanity really has a chance to put a mirror up and look at itself, and we see each other for what [and who] we really are, communication is better. Regardless of your belief system, you can exist in a world with people who don’t believe the same thing. The timing is interesting because we could not have planned this. But the fact that it allows us to have these conversations in the political landscape in which we live, I think, is very timely. It may not be presenting the solutions, but it’s presenting the right questions so we can find the solutions together.

How does the history shown through this platform contribute to dialogue about sovereignty, Indigenous worldviews and colonization in Hawaiʻi?

I think that we’re on the precipice of another Hawaiian Renaissance. I really feel that. You can look at Hawaiian history and we have a solution to almost every problem that we’re dealing with now. History is a great teacher. Those are things that we’re thinking about as we’re writing. It’s meant to have an impact. It’s meant to be a conversation starter. Keeping our history connected to our present is very important. As Kānaka, we inherently do that. We always talk about our history, about our family. We are very cognizant of our history, and we carry that with us in the present. Understanding our history is the solution for the future.

What do you want your legacy to be to our lāhui?

I’ve never considered my own lāhui legacy, to be honest. All I ever really wanted to do was to ignite that conversation of what can we do to tell our own stories. That’s all this is about. You’ve seen two Kānaka build a story, present it. And if it inspires you to do it as well, awesome. I believe that film is the next great avenue for Hawaiʻi people, for Pacific peoples. Because we are storytellers. Say we get a season two, and you like the show or thought about being an actor – come and audition. Or if you don’t like the story or how it was curated and crafted – then learn to write your own stories. If you want to get into this industry and it sparks something in you to try to develop a career in film, then that’s what this is meant to do. We need to be the curators of our own stories.

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Through nine decades, he has lived many lives. He’s been a Marine, mechanic, firefighter, canoe builder, conservationist, rancher, and mentor. Intertwined in each role is his work ethic and unwavering connection to the land, the ocean, and his Native Hawaiian identity.

The result is a powerful memoir that is deeply personal, at times hilarious, often unbelievable, and ultimately unforgettable.

With the help of co-author Kim Ann Curtin, Veincent has captured a life story that feels like sitting at the feet of your favorite uncle as he spins a yarn that leaves you both inspired and in awe.

His voice on the page is unmistakably his voice in real life. It’s sharp, direct, and to the point. Uncle Manny, now 94-years-old, shifts effortlessly from memory to reflection. But make no mistake, this isn’t just nostalgia. It is a story about a man trying to preserve a lifetime of knowledge and foundational responsibility that is rapidly vanishing.

“I’m one of the last now from the old folks,” Uncle Manny said. “And when I go, if I don’t document anything, then there’s nothing. We’re going to have a big zero, a big blank space, and people will never know.”

Raised on Hawaiian Home Lands in Keaukaha, in a time before fast food and computers, Uncle Manny walks readers through a Hawaiʻi that many today have only heard about. From boiling and straining tea to eating poi and canned sardines and sleeping on handmade lauhala mats. The level of detail is remarkable, particularly in terms of food, characters, and daily life.

You can almost taste the linalina pancakes with nucoa butter.

The storytelling is vivid and passionate. Names, personalities, and moments leap off the page with startling precision.

One of the book’s greatest strengths is how seamlessly it weaves unrelated experiences into a cohesive life story. At one moment, Uncle Manny is swimming with sharks, and in the next, he is saving the endangered nēnē goose and apprenticing under a kahuna kālai waʻa.

Uncle shows us, with his lived experiences, how everything is interconnected. The logs that would become racing canoes speak to him, the sharks see him, and the mountains keep him safe.

“Firsthand,” he says. “Nobody told me this. The land, the ocean, it’s my experience. It’s not what somebody told me; it’s what I experienced myself in my lifetime, and if this is not documented now, we gonna lose all this.”

His reflections on Hawaiian identity are timely and grounded. He speaks candidly about what he sees in today’s youth. “They gotta push the culture forward themselves, the way it is now.”

He offers hard truths about discipline, belief, and self-determination. But this isn’t a scolding book. It’s an invitation. “Young people, be yourself. Believe in yourself. Your ability. No more end to what you can do,” he says.

Curtin, who spent years working with Veincent to shape the book, describes the collaboration as a “sacred journey.” She likens it to having “front-row seats to history” and says her biggest challenge was getting Uncle to go beyond “just the facts.” The result is a narrative that strikes a balance between humility and weight. Uncle doesn’t brag, but his vast experience speaks for itself.

Born of Two Oceans is also full of humor and joy. Whether he’s recounting a story about his grandfather running away from a hospital or dealing with a particularly difficult horse, Uncle Manny’s life has no shortage of adventure. It’s no wonder Curtin describes his life as “an orange that he squeezed every drop out of.”

Veincent’s telling of the early days of canoe paddling in Kawaihae delivers the club’s genealogy and 50-year history. As a coach, Uncle Manny established a club reputation for rigorous training and led generations of keiki and adults alike toward a culture of excellence rooted in community pride.

At its core, Born of Two Oceans is a call to believe in yourself, in your place, and in your purpose. Throughout the book, discipline is not a lesson Uncle Manny preaches. It’s one he lives.

From describing the intense physical preparation for canoe races, the rigor of the fire department, or the grit of ranching, his words return to the idea that success is the sum of personal effort, endurance, and discipline.

Again and again, the book reveals that believing in yourself isn’t just about confidence. It’s about commitment.

“Your body can do it,” he says. “But your brain gotta be stronger.”

In a world of shortcuts and easy exits, Born of Two Oceans teaches us that success in life resides in discipline and that Hawaiian values can guide us through any obstacle.

It’s not just the story of one man. It’s a reminder of how things used to be in Hawaiʻi and perhaps how they should still be.

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The reimagined Disney story, Lilo & Stitch, released in theatres on May 22, is a retelling of the original animated film from a modern lens with an enhanced focus on cultural authenticity.

Lilo & Stitch made its debut in 2002, introducing the world to a lonely, orphaned 6-year-old Hawaiian girl, Lilo Pelekai, living with her 18-year-old sister and guardian, Nani. After Lilo wishes on a shooting star and asks for a friend, she encounters a strange blue creature called Stitch which she adopts, thinking it is a dog.

Stich turns out to be a fugitive from an alien planet – the product of a genetic experiment (known by his creators as Experiment 626).

The original film included some elements of Native Hawaiian culture (such as the importance of ʻohana) that had never previously been represented in an animated film. However, Native Hawaiian involvement in the making of the original film was minimal.

As Disney executives moved forward with plans to revive Lilo & Stitch, this time as a live-action movie, they were committed to greater Native Hawaiian representation in the production and tapped Chris Kekaniokalani Bright to write the screenplay.

Bright, a photographer and filmmaker from Oʻahu, comes from a musical family.

His grandfather was Ron Bright – the renowned musical theatre director – and his father, Clark Bright, is the bandmaster for the Royal Hawaiian Band. And the young screenwriter already had a special relationship to the film – his mother, Lynell Bright, is the director of the Kamehameha Schools Children’s Choir which was featured on the soundtrack for the original film.

Bright said that it was important, in the making of the movie, to do things right and be authentic to our culture, noting that everyone involved in the project, from producers to the director, was committed to including people from Hawaiʻi in the production – not only as part of the cast and crew – but as cultural consultants.

“Being able to represent contemporary Hawaiʻi on the big screen, I don’t think it’s ever been done,” Bright said. “We’ve seen [Hawaiʻi] from outsider perspectives. So even though there’s aliens, a crazy third act, and spaceships – at its core, this is still a Hawaiʻi movie and you feel it.”

The opportunity to show a glimpse of his “backyard” to the world excited Bright who hopes the characters in the movie will feel familiar to local audiences. “I hope people from Hawaiʻi will feel like ʻthat’s my tūtū, that’s my little cousin,’ because I did while I was on the set and writing it.”

The new Lilo & Stitch dives deeper into Nani’s backstory than the original, showing how taxing it would be for an 18-year-old to take care of a 6-year-old in Hawaiʻi without any help.

“I wanted to do right by that and really honor the original. So, you start by figuring out what is truly the heart of the story – and of course it’s about ʻohana – but it’s also about being broken, but still being good,” Bright said.

“There’s that central relationship between Lilo and Stitch, but also between Lilo and Nani. And you just have to figure out, okay how do we preserve that and then how do we also deepen it in ways that you just can’t do in animation?”

The movie stars Maia Kealoha, Sydney Agudong, and Kaipo Dudoit – all of whom were born and raised in Hawaiʻi.

Kealoha, who plays Lilo, is an 8-year-old Native Hawaiian from Hawaiʻi Island who the cast and crew members say embodies every part of Lilo. Kealoha said that she had an amazing time filming the movie and has always been a fan.

“It was amazing working with Sydney and my director Dean was creative – he made the movie a great Hawaiian roller coaster ride,” Kealoha laughed. “And yes, I love it! Just because it came out before I was born, I had like 5,000 plushies of Stitch!”

Dudoit, a Kanaka ʻŌiwi model, actor, and mea hula born and raised in Honoʻuliʻuli, Oʻahu, plays David Kawena – the boyfriend of Lilo’s older sister, Nani. He said he felt blessed and honored to be part of the project.

“It has been an absolute gift,” Dudoit said. “As a little Hawaiian boy, I didn’t really see [people like] myself on the big screen very much, especially when I was growing up. Thankfully, times have changed. It’s been an absolute honor to be given this opportunity to showcase not only my home, but my family as well.”

Dudoit credits Bright for incorporating a Hawaiian cultural identity into the movie’s characters through his screenwriting.

“I think our film really brought out both [Hawaiʻi’s] beauty and differences. Hawaiʻi people are used to understanding that we like to celebrate our own differences as people and in our own cultures and in our own families, so I think that was a beautiful thing we were able to share among each other,” Dudoit said.

“I hope everyone enjoys Lilo & Stitch. And I hope people that are from Hawaiʻi – or are no longer in Hawaiʻi but live somewhere else – are able to see their home again and remember that ʻohana will always carry us through tough times.”

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The film’s worldwide release was April 14 on Amazon Prime. It can be streamed for free.

Founded in 2019, KCR is the passion project of co-founders Alika Peleholani Garcia and Kapono Kaluhiokalani – both longtime fishermen, firefighters and ocean stewards – and Daniel Demartini, Ph.D., a biochemist and assistant professor at BYU-Lāʻie who serves as director of science for the nonprofit.

Together, the team launched KCR in response to the visible decline of Hawaiʻi’s coral reefs – ecosystems that are among the first, and hardest hit, by climate change. Their mission is to restore, protect, and monitor these ecosystems by combining cultural values, modern science and meaningful community partnerships.

“As fishermen, we saw the changes firsthand. We wanted to be part of the solution – not just observe the decline,” said Garcia. “This work is our kuleana.”

Operating across the island of Oʻahu (with supporting partner communities on Maui), KCR restores degraded reef systems using techniques such as direct coral reattachment and pilot-scale reef stabilization. One technique featured on the documentary is the use of “reef stars” – rebar structures coated with local sand onto which broken – but living – coral fragments are tied and placed back onto the reef to regenerate and grow.

These tools help corals grow faster, survive, and recover from stressors like warming seas and stronger storm swells, both directly linked to climate change.

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With a focus on developing capacity in the next generation to continue this work, KCR’s Coral Occupational Applications and Scientific Techniques (COAST) training program was developed in partnership with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement. It offers rigorous site-based, hands-on training in coral restoration and scientific diving, integrating ʻike Hawaiʻi and cutting-edge western science.

COAST is designed to create meaningful career pathways in conservation for Native Hawaiians, Pacific Islanders, and residents of the moku of ʻEwa and Waiʻanae: communities typically underrepresented in the field of marine science. Garcia notes that by investing in emerging local leadership, “KCR is growing Hawaiʻi’s climate resilience from the inside out.”

KCR is also supported by the Sheba Hope Grows campaign, one of the world’s largest corporate-backed coral reef restoration initiatives. Sheba Hope Grows is part of Mars Sustainable Solutions (MSS), the environmental sustainability subsidiary of Mars, Inc.

Since its restoration efforts began in 2011, MSS has established 72 reef restoration sites in 12 countries. Utilizing their Mars Assisted Reef Restoration System (MARRS), they have installed over 90,000 reef stars and outplanted more than 1.3 million corals worldwide.

The program aims to restore over 185,000 square meters of coral reefs globally by 2029, assisting oceanic and coastal communities living on the front lines of climate change to rebuild these vital ecosystems.

Reef Builders showcases the people behind these efforts, including Garcia, Kaluhiokalani and Demartini, who all appear in the documentary, alongside actor and environmental advocate Auliʻi Cravalho, star of Disney’s Moana. Cravalho is an associate producer of the documentary and is shown helping KCR to construct and install its first reef stars.

The world premiere of Reef Builders was held in London, England, on April 9, followed by its Hawaiʻi premiere on April 14 at a gala event hosted by KCR at Ko ʻOlina.

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On a bright afternoon on Nov. 21, 2024, people from all over the world gathered at the Lanikūhonua Cultural Institute on the west side of Oʻahu for Disney’s Moana 2 World Premiere. Invited guests were greeted with flower lei, hula, live music, local foods and a variety of activities to enjoy.

Event goers could learn a hula, meet Mickey and Minnie Mouse or the character Moana herself, create a phone charm or bracelet with seashells and beads, create art on a seashell, take a photo in the Moana-themed photo booth or get a flipbook to take home.

Several local businesses were also featured at the event including Lypid Kitchen with their “Pua” inspired BBQ Pork Bao and Better Sour with their Moana 2 collection of gummy stars in iconic island flavors like lilikoʻi.

Auliʻi Carvalho, who plays Moana, arrived on the blue carpet donning a custom shell top by Utah-based Samoan designer Afa Ah Loo. Carvalho posed for photos dressed in character with several guests and joined in a few faʻaumu (“chee-hoos”) on the carpet.

“I miss being here and feeling the island vibes and feeling the aloha from start to finish on this carpet,” said Carvalho. “It really feels like coming home.”

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, who voices the demigod Maui, also attended, dancing a taualuga (a Samoan dance celebrating the completion of a task) with his mother upon his entrance to the event before pausing for photo ops and interviews.

“It’s the global premiere of Moana 2 and [there are] a lot of people around the world who are excited to see it,” Johnson said. “I’ve got my family here. A lot of people flew in. It’s awesome to be here tonight.”

Guests included Lahainaluna High School students and staff, Lilo and Stitch live action actress Maia Kealoha, Hawaiʻi-based influencer Bretman Rock, Hawaiian- Samoan reggae rock/pop band Common Kings and more.

As the sun began to set, guests were ushered to their seats in the outdoor theater. Each lawn chair had a Hawaiian Airlines blanket and a Heihei (chicken) or Pua (pig) plush character toy for guests to take home.

Pasifika (Pacific Islander) dancers took to the stage to perform for the crowd. Flags of each Pacific Island waved in front of the screen and “chee-hoos” echoed through the venue. Carvalho and Johnson briefly danced with the performers on stage, then thanked their families, friends, Moana 2 creator Bob Iger, and the people of Pasifika.

“We [all] own Moana,” said Carvalho.

With stars twinkling in the skies above, the movie began, full of lively new music from talented songwriters Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear, the first female duo to compose music for a Disney movie.

Several new characters are introduced in Moana 2: Moana’s little sister Simea (voiced by Khaleesi Lambert-Tsuda from Oʻahu) and crew members Kele (David Fane of Aotearoa), Loto (Rose Matafeo of Aotearoa) and Moni (Hualālai Chung also from Oʻahu).

In the movie, Moni is a young storyteller who has learned all the moʻolelo of Motonui. For Chung, an up-and-coming ʻŌiwi actor-musician, Moana 2 has been the opportunity of a lifetime.

“This story of Moana, has been so big for our people, not only [for] Hawaiʻi, but the entire Pacific,” said Chung, adding that he was very grateful to be part of the movie and of the celebration of the movie here at home.

In Moana 2, three years have passed. Moana is now an accomplished navigator sailing far beyond the reef of her island home of Motunui. Whereas the first movie focused on connecting to the past and her ancestors, Moana 2 focuses on connecting to the future and to all the peoples of the Pacific.

An emerging leader, Moana balances her duties to her people while heeding the call of her ancestors. When her ancestors send her on a journey to reunite the peoples of the Pacific, she struggles with leaving her ʻohana, fearing she may not return.

An important and timely theme throughout the movie is the idea that the peoples of the Pacific are connected, not divided, by the ocean.

Moana 2 represents all the people of Pasifika, showcasing our cultural connections through depiction of ʻawa ceremonies, use of kapa, respect for ʻaumakua (deified ancestors who may assume animal forms), and tattoo. The movie celebrates the achievements of all Pacific peoples – Polynesians, Micronesians and Melanesians – and represents our cultures, customs and voyaging traditions on the big screen.

“This idea of community, of loyalty to your ʻohana, is so much grander in this film,” Chung reflected. “I think everybody will really connect with [the film] and take it to heart.

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Lāiana Kanoa-Wong talks about being a cultural consultant for Moana 2

Lāiana Kanoa-Wong recalls sitting with his ʻohana and friends to watch the Walt Disney animated film, Moana, shown in ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi at the Bishop Museum in June 2018.

Two years earlier, Moana first hit the theaters telling the story of a Polynesian teenager who sets sail on a quest to save her people.

“I was watching it, and I was mesmerized,” said Kanoa-Wong. “We were watching this story of – it was us, it was our people, and it was our cultures. I was seeing elements of Samoa culture, Maori culture, Tahitian culture and I was thinking about how proud I was and then hearing our ʻōlelo on top of that I was like, oh, there’s something special to this and I just became more and more excited.”

Today, Kanoa-Wong is among the consultants in the Oceanic Cultural Trust for the development of Moana 2 – the highest-grossing Thanksgiving release in U.S. history.

A Hawaiian cultural specialist at Kamehameha Schools, Kanoa-Wong grew up speaking ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi as a student of the kula kaiapuni Hawaiian language immersion program. He graduated from Ke Kula Kaiapuni ʻo Ānuenue and holds a bachelor’s degree in ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi and a master’s degree in education from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa.

While his ʻōlelo schooling proved to be of value, Kanoa-Wong said he never realized it would happen in the film industry and recalled how its use in the world was once questioned.

“Our families didn’t know, because I can remember my tūtū them, they were like, ʻwhy would you put Lāiana in kaiapuni? There’s no jobs out there for people in kaiapuni.’ And then here I am today working and doing stuff at Disney, sharing our stories because I went to kaiapuni, because of my background in language and culture,” said Kanoa-Wong. “For our keiki, it’s limitless.”

According to the Walt Disney Animation Studios, two of Moana 2’s directors are of Samoan descent and were adamant about the authenticity of Oceania histories and culture when developing the first Moana. It established its Oceanic Cultural Trust, a collective of cultural advisors from across Oceania headed by Kalikolehua Hurley of Mililani, Oʻahu. The Oceanic Cultural Trust reached out to additional cultural advisors for Moana 2.

“To have a seat at the table felt really special, it felt maikaʻi,” Kanoa-Wong said. “They’re open to hearing about our perspectives. They’re open to taking it in and using it as guiding stars as they were navigating to create those stories. I’m just really proud to be a part of it because it’s a continuation of the journey.”

Kanoa-Wong has also worked as the sole consultant on NCIS: Hawaiʻi for 26 episodes and been involved in two shorts, Hae Hawaiʻi and E Mālama Pono, Willy Boy.

He said it was also humbling and exciting to be a part of Disney’s Oceanic Cultural Trust for Moana 2, in which he participated in the sharing of ideas to constructively move the Moana storytelling process forward.

“They’ve been preparing for their moments and what they do in their spaces and so it’s nice to be amongst awesome Indigenous leaders,” he shared. “When I’m doing things like NCIS or other projects, I’m like the main consultant. To me, that’s not a winning formula. It’s almost like we’ve got to go back to the ʻaha (assembly) style where we have a council of us who are helping to provide feedback. The fact that a corporation like Disney valued having multiple perspectives from different island hui showed growth in the industry.”

Kanoa-Wong says their collective goal “to do things right” is a concept that should be replicated.

The sharing of how one culture approaches a situation differently or the similar words used reaffirmed the connection of people bound by the Pacific, the world’s largest body of ocean.

Kanoa-Wong compared it to the 13th Annual Festival of Pacific Arts and Culture (FestPAC) that took place in June 2024 when people from across Oceania nations gathered in Hawaiʻi to honor and share traditional cultural practices. Despite the evolution of cultures to place, voyaging is a foundation from which all derive.

“We know that we’re all one big ‘ohana. We know that we all have a very unique perspective to add and share,” he said. “We trust in the guidance and leaders of our kumu and our mentors and the people that have been around us in voyaging, in history, in education, in language.”

Using FestPAC and Moana as examples of how far Polynesians have come from a colonial and oppressed past, Kanoa-Wong lights up when talking about what children today have before them due to the work that has been done to preserve and perpetuate cultural practices.

“A film like Moana shows that there’s so many unique connections coming to life, and for our keiki, they’ll know nothing different,” he said.

Hōkūleʻa is credited for the revival of voyaging societies across the Pacific. Polynesian Voyaging Society Master Navigator Nainoa Thompson was also a consultant on Moana 2, to provide his voyaging expertise and navigation philosophy.

“Nainoa talks about [that] we’re all navigators. We’re all navigators of our own lives and our own canoe,” recalled Kanoa-Wong. “What is our canoe? Our canoe is our body, our mind. But also, our canoe is our family. Our canoe is our community. And as we ascend into leadership roles, how do we navigate?”

For the navigational challenges that the character Moana faces, Kanoa-Wong believes she stokes inspiration.

“All of us are navigating and trying our best,” he said. “We can draw from our ancestral wisdom to guide us forward today, to use it as a platform to build from as we move forward in the future.”

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Popular radio personalities and best friends Davey D (David Daniels), Lina Girl (Lina Langi) and Mele Apana are transitioning to broadcast TV. For decades, the three brought laughter, humor and news to Hawaiʻi’s airwaves.

The trio announced that, beginning on January 8, they are collaborating on a brand-new show, Island Life Live, that will air weekdays at 4:00 p.m. on KITV4 Island News, KIKU and all supporting streaming platforms.

The hour-long lifestyle show will include news, traffic, and weather updates – but with more fun and flair than a regular news program. The show will feature in-studio and on-location interviews and segments covering anything that piques the interest or inspires.

“We’ll be island hopping and beyond,” laughed Langi. “Anywhere there are concentrations of Native Hawaiians and Hawaiʻi locals, we plan to go there!”

Island Life Live will leverage the trio’s considerable community connections to feature segments on everything from lifestyle, food, music, culture and trends to current events. And don’t be surprised if they also take a look at the lighter side of some current “hot topics” – the sky is the limit and laughter is the best medicine.

The trio also collaborated on writing and recording the show’s theme song.

Daniels started his career in radio at KCCN FM100 in 1992. He has served as KCCN FM100’s program director and as a consultant for Hawaiian 105 KINE and is a veteran of the morning drive teams at KCCN and Krater 96. Most recently he has been doing the traffic and weather reports on KITV4’s Good Morning Hawaiʻi news show.

Apana started in radio at KCCN FM100 in 1998. For years, she worked with teams and as a solo radio personality on KCCN FM100, KXME Power 104.3, Island Rhythms 98.5, and Hawaiian 105 KINE. With her hula background, Apana is the “go-to” emcee for hālau fundraisers and events, and in 2023 emceed the Merrie Monarch Festival with Kimo Kahoano.

Langi got her start as part of Nā Hōkū Hanohano-nominated group Nā Waihoʻoluʻu o ke Ānuenue. She moved into radio in 1993, also starting at KCCN FM100 as a producer and later had a solo show on Hawaiian 105 KINE. She also did a brief stint on Love Songs on Krater 96 while working in public relations at Kanileʻa ʻUkulele.

“We are excited to continue uplifting and entertaining our lāhui and community here in Hawaiʻi and worldwide,” said Langi. “For many years we got to do just that on the radio every weekday morning. This time around, we get to welcome you home in the afternoons – but now, we have to look good for the camera!”

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“Each year, the Hawaiian Music Hall of Fame honors persons who have contributed to promoting, preserving and perpetuating Hawaiian music and hula,” explained HMHF President Toni Lee.

Kumu Hula Robert Uluwehi Cazimero of Hālau nā Kamalei o Līlīlehua is a multiple Nā Hōkū Hanohano Award winning and Grammy-nominated composer and musician. He was previously inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2006 as part of the musical duo, The Brothers Cazimero, along with his late brother, Roland Cazimero.

Also being honored this year is Dr. Randie Fong, a music educator, composer, kumu hula and current director of Hoʻokahua, Kamehameha Schools’ Cultural Vibrancy Group. Fong is a longtime advocate of culture-based education and has served as a cultural consultant.

Kumu Hula Kealoha Kalama, a renowned singer, dancer, and musician is another 2023 honoree. Named Hawaiʻi’s “Most Beautiful Dancer” when she was just 15-years-old, Kalama went on to produce shows in Waikīkī and found Hālau Pōhai Kealoha.

Kahu Aaron David Mahi is a noted musician and composer. He is the former conductor of both the Royal Hawaiian Band (for 24 years), and the Honolulu Symphony Orchestra (for seven years). Mahi was honored with a Nā Hōkū Hanohano Lifetime Achievement Award in 2021.

Post-humous honorees include sisters and nā Kumu Hula Louise and Luka Kaleiki. Aunty Louise founded ʻIlima Hula Studio around 1956 with Dottie Ortiz and was later joined by her younger sister, Luka. Louise was among other notable kumu hula who influenced the establishment of the Merrie Monarch Festival.

Also being inducted posthumously into the Hall of Fame is Kumu Hula and Reverend Johnny Lum Ho, founder of Hālau o ka Ua Kani Lehua. Lum Ho was an innovative musician, composer and choreographer. His creative hula performances were Merrie Monarch Festival crowd favorites.

Kumu hula being recognized under the umbrella of “Honolulu Parks and Recreations Hula Teachers” are Puanani Alama, Edwina Noelani Kanoho Mahoe and Liffie Leolani Pratt Haʻo. Parks and Recreations kumu being recognized posthumously are: Alice Kalahui, Alice K. Namakelua, Lei Collins, Adeline N. Maunupau Lee, Alice Keawekane Garner, Rose Maunakea Lane, Joseph Kamohai Kahaulelio, George Holokai, Geraldine “Gerry” Alama, Lei Kaniho, Hannah Kaneakua Basso, Kaulana Kasparovitch, Blossom Clark, Hattie Au and Kuʻulei Clark.

The Hawaiian Music Hall of Fame is a nonprofit educational corporation founded in 1994. Its establishment was inspired by the legacy of Nā Lani ʻEhā (David Kalākaua, William Pitt Leleiōhoku, Liliʻuokalani and Miriam Likelike), the four aliʻi considered patrons of Hawaiian culture and each of whom were brilliant composers and musicians.

Keeping with this tradition, inductees into the Hall of Fame are selected by the organization’s advisory board from among Hawaiʻi’s many gifted composers, musicians and vocalists. Honorees include individuals who have been instrumental in creating and perpetuating Hawaiʻi’s unique musical voice.

The annual Lei of Stars awards ceremony serves as a fundraiser for the Hawaiian Music Hall of Fame. Individual tickets are priced at $200 and corporate tables of 10 are priced from $5,000 to $10,000. Individuals or organizations interested in attending should contact HMHF President Toni Lee at parade.lady001@gmail.com.

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The first-ever Hawaiian National Football (soccer) Teams will represent Hawaiʻi at an international competition in Aotearoa (New Zealand) this month. The women’s U-18 and men’s U-18 teams (pictured above) are a part of Hui Kanaka Pōwāwae – the Hawaiian Football Federation. It is the world’s first all-ʻŌiwi soccer team. They represent the Nation of Hawaiʻi and exclusively play under the Hawaiian flag. – Photos: Hezekiah Kapuaʻala

Vernon Kapuaʻala has played soccer for most of his life. He started playing the game at the age of 6 and continued on to play high school and collegiate soccer. After getting married and having children, Kapuaʻala became a dedicated “soccer dad” and started coaching both club and high school soccer.

For years, Kapuaʻala has been running soccer leagues and tournaments on his home island of Maui and getting scouts to look at local players for U.S. national teams.

In his down time, he watched international professional soccer games and was taken by the pregame ritual of players singing their national anthem and saluting their nation’s flag.

He envisioned Hawaiʻi sports teams singing Hawaiʻi Ponoʻī as their national anthem instead of The Star-Spangled Banner and flying the Hawaiian flag as their nation’s flag rather than as a state flag.

Kapuaʻala said that growing up he never really connected with his culture and history – but after hearing a lecture about the illegal overthrow and occupation of the Hawaiian Kingdom, he began to see Hawaiʻi as a nation.

And that started him thinking that maybe he could establish a federation of Hawaiian soccer teams to represent Hawaiʻi as a nation on an international level.

In a 2020 interview published by the American Pyramid, Kapuaʻala talked about his path to understanding that he was not just ethnically Hawaiian, but a Hawaiian national. He said he realized “that my country’s international identity and my nationality has been preserved and remains intact,” and saw that his kuleana to the lāhui could be realized through Hawaiian national football teams.

“Athletes represent Hawaiʻi [internationally] in surfing and canoe paddling, why not in soccer? What makes it a Hawaiian sport is who we are and how we play it,” Kapuaʻala said.

Kapuaʻala and his wife, Trisha, founded Hui Kanaka Pōwāwae, the Hawaiian Football Federation (HFF) as a nonprofit organization. In most countries, soccer is known as “football.”

Then they established a board of directors for the nonprofit and scouted ʻŌiwi high school soccer players from across Hawaiʻi to create the first-ever Hawaiian National Teams (Nā ʻĀlapa Hawaiʻi).

In addition to the rigorous training and conditioning required of all serious athletes, players with Nā ʻĀlapa Hawaiʻi are also immersed in Hawaiian language, culture and history.

More than just developing athletic prowess, Hui Kanaka Pōwāwae has a mission to improve resiliency and the overall wellbeing of Native Hawaiians. Their website states that “Through our National Team Program, we are working to produce meaningful impacts on the physical, emotional, and mental health of our players, their families, and the Native Hawaiian community at large – by creating a space where Hawaiian National Identity can be recovered, reclaimed, reconstructed, collectively expressed and shared.”

“Māori Football has been doing it since 2016,” Kapuaʻala said. “Kids might be aboriginal, but may not be [culturally] connected otherwise. Weʻre building the connection.”

Through HFF, Native Hawaiian soccer players are able to represent their native land and compete internationally under their own flag.

HFF has four teams (male and female, under-16 and under-18) with 20 players per team that were selected from a pool of nearly 300 Native Hawaiian soccer players. HFF hopes to form adult men’s and women’s teams in the near future.

Hui Kanaka Pōwāwae has also created and maintains a database of Native Hawaiian soccer players from within Hawaiʻi as well as Hawaiian players who live outside of Hawaiʻi.

There is no cost to players to be a part of HFF. Trisha Kapuaʻala writes grants to obtain financial support for the program, and the players themselves help with fundraising online. Hui Kanaka Pōwāwae is run by volunteers with just one paid staff member, Ian Mork, who is the program’s technical director.

In May 2022, HFF announced a formal partnership with Māori Football Aotearoa for the purpose of competition and cultural reciprocation between Aotearoa (New Zealand) and Hawaiʻi. In November 2022, Hui Kanaka Pōwāwae announced that 38 players from the islands of Maui, Kauaʻi, Oʻahu and Hawaiʻi, had been selected to represent Hawaiʻi in international competition in Aotearoa in July 2023.

In preparation for their first international competition, in early June HFF held training camps on Oʻahu for their players.

The men’s U-18 and women’s U-18 Hawaiian National Teams will tour Aotearoa from July 17-27 to compete in Tāmaki Makaurau (Auckland) and in Kaikohe to the north. While there, the players will attend a match of the International Federation of Association Football Women’s World Cup scheduled for July 20 to Aug. 20 in Aotearoa and Australia.

And in 2024, HFF will host Māori Football Aotearoa here in Hawaiʻi.

Kapuaʻala believes that Hawaiian athletes will become modern symbols of national pride. And when Kapuaʻala talks about building a “national team” he emphasizes that it is about nationality, not race. “We’re not political,” he said. “This is a patriotic exercise.”

For more information go to: https://hawaiianfootball.com/.

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