These talk story sessions bring together community alongside some of the creators, cultural practitioners, and artists behind the groundbreaking Apple TV+ series Chief of War.
Through conversation, Hu‘e Kaona dives into the history, language, and cultural foundations that help root the Apple TV+ series in a Hawaiian worldview. These talk story sessions invite kānaka to connect through the mana of mo‘olelo and explore how storytelling can reclaim and activate ea for past, present, and future generations.
While these sessions highlight just a few voices, this work is the result of an ongoing collective effort: those who came before and paved the way, creators today who are opening up opportunities, and the multitudes yet to come who will carry this kuleana of building and transforming worlds forward.
The Chief of War
Monday, August 4 – Pa‘a Sibbett and Brian Keaulana talk story about the Kingdom of Hawai‘i, the ocean that connects us, and bringing the best of our ancestors forward—diving into Episode 1 of Chief of War.
- Pa‘a Sibbett
Co-creator, Executive Producer, Head Writer: Chief of War - Brian Keaulana
Producer: Chief of War
Changing Tides
Monday, August 4 – Pa‘a Sibbett, Kaho‘okahi Kanuha, and Keawe Goodhue of Awaiaulu talk story about making history through the power of ‘ōlelo Hawai‘i, the depth of ‘ike Hawai‘i, and a rising national consciousness—diving into Episode 2 of Chief of War.
City of Flowers
Monday, August 11 – Pa‘a Sibbett, Kaina Makua, and Dr. Kalehua Krug talk about Episode 3: City of Flowers. This talk story explores aliʻi and themes of leadership tied to Kamehameha, Kekūhaupi‘o, Kalaniʻōpuʻu, Kīwalaʻō, and Keōuakū‘ahu‘ula; the presence, influence, and power of Kūkāʻilimoku; and relationships involving aikāne, ho‘āo, and ho‘omaukeiki.
- Pa‘a Sibbett
Co-creator, Executive Producer, Head Writer: Chief of War - Kaina Makua
Farmer - Dr. Kalehua Krug
Cultural Practitioner, Educator
City of Flowers Part 2
Monday, August 18 – Pa‘a Sibbett sits down with guests Kaleikoa Kā‘eo, Kaina Makua, and Dr. Kalehua Krug to discuss Episode 4: City of Flowers, Part 2. This talk story explores the deep connections between people across Moananuiākea, the power of seeing ourselves as one, the importance of telling our own stories, and the role of mentors and role models in inspiring the next generations of mo‘olelo makers.
- Pa‘a Sibbett
Co-creator, Executive Producer, Head Writer: Chief of War - Kaina Makua
Farmer - Dr. Kalehua Krug
Cultural Practitioner, Educator - Kaleikoa Ka‘eo
Associate Professor, Humanities, UH Maui
The Race of the Gods
Monday, August 25 – Pa‘a Sibbett sits down with guests Pohaku Stone, Anne Stone, and Dr. Kēhaunani Abad to discuss Episode 5: The Race of the Gods. Their talk story grounds us in the values and practices that build ‘ohana and kaiāulu, highlights the political power and mana of Hawaiian women like Ka‘ahumanu and Kānekapōlei, and carries us along ancestral tracks from Hāloa to hōlua that continue to shape who we are today.
- Pa‘a Sibbett
Co-creator, Executive Producer, Head Writer: Chief of War - Pohaku Stone
Cultural Practitioner - Anne Stone
Archivist, Educator - Dr. Kēhaunani Abad
Historian, Educator
The Splintered Paddle
Monday, September 1 – E naue mai! Tune in for the talk story session following Episode 6 with:
- Pa‘a Sibbett
Co-creator, Executive Producer, Head Writer: - Dr. Kēhaunani Abad
Historian
Hu‘e Kaona: Chief of War Talk Story Sessions — Episode 6 Coming Soon
Day of Spilled Brains
Monday, September 8– E naue mai! Tune in for the talk story session following Episode 7 with:
- Pa‘a Sibbett
Co-creator, Executive Producer, Head Writer: - Kaleikoa Ka‘eo
Associate Professor, Humanities, UH Maui
Hu‘e Kauna: Chief of War Talk Story Sessions — Episode 7 Coming Soon
The Sacred Niu Grove
Monday, September 15 – E naue mai! Tune in for the talk story session following Episode 8 with:
- Pa‘a Sibbett
Co-creator, Executive Producer, Head Writer: Chief of War - Mainei Kinimaka
Actor
Hu‘e Kaona: Chief of War Talk Story Sessions — Episode 8 Coming Soon
The Black Desert
Monday, September 22 – E naue mai! Tune in for the talk story session following Episode 9 with:
- Pa‘a Sibbett
Co-creator, Executive Producer, Head Writer: Chief of War - Brian Keaulana
Producer: Chief of War
Hu‘e Kaona: Chief of War Talk Story Sessions — Episode 9 Coming Soon
Bonus: Mele + Mo‘olelo
Monday, September 22 – E naue mai! Tune in for this bonus talk story session:
- Pa‘a Sibbett
Co-creator, Executive Producer, Head Writer: Chief of War - Kaumakaiwa Kanaka‘ole
Composer, Cultural Practitioner, Hawaiian Cultural Coordinator: Chief of War
Hu‘e Kaona: Chief of War Talk Story Sessions — BONUS EPISODE Coming Soon
Hu‘e Kaona: Shedding light on the layered meanings woven into moʻolelo and illuminating truths that speak differently to each of us.
Hu‘e Kaona is brought to life in collaboration with 5PM Productions and the kōkua of Ke Kula ‘o Kamehameha
Additional Resources
- Ke Kumu Aupuni: The Foundation of Hawaiian Nationhood embodies a monumental history of Hawaiʻi, from the beginnings and political rise of Kamehameha I, the negotiations and battles that would come to unify Hawai‘i’s islands and kingdoms, and the development of a single government that would endure.
- Ruling Chiefs. Eighteenth-century Hawaiian historian Samuel Mānaiakalani Kamakau traces Hawai‘i’s history from ‘Umi, high chief eight generations before Kamehameha I, to the death of Kamehameha III in 1854. This volume covers the arrival of Captain James Cook, the consolidation of the Hawaiian kingdom by Kamehameha I, the coming of the missionaries, and the changes affecting the kingdom through the reign of Kamehameha III.
- Kamehameha and His Warrior Kekuhaupi‘o. From December 1920 to September 1924, Reverend Stephen L. Desha published a serial account of the lives of Kamehameha and Kekūhaupi‘o in his weekly Hawaiian language newspaper Ka Hoku o Hawaii. Kekūhaupi‘o, a master of Hawaiian martial arts, first served as Kamehameha’s instructor in the skills of combat before becoming his stalwart bodyguard, fearless warrior, and trusted advisor. Desha uses the character of Kekūhaupi‘o to largely retell the story of Kamehameha.
- Kamehameha: Rise of a King is a work of historical fiction for young readers that highlights the people, places, and events that shaped Kamehameha’s life and led him to become Kana‘iaupuni, the Conqueror of the Islands.
- Kohala Kuamo‘o is a children’s illustrated book and its title refers to the trails and paths in Kohala that are integral to the story of Nae‘ole and Kamehameha. The title also suggests the customs of the people of Kohala in caring for each other. In addition, Kohala Kuamo‘o hints at Nae‘ole’s role as the iwikuamo‘o, the most trusted personal attendant of Keku‘iapoiwa, the mother of Kamehameha.
- Pa‘a Ke Aupuni is a unique 60-minute hand-drawn animated film that gets straight to the point. It focuses on key events following the unification of the islands by Kamehameha—tracing the rise of the Hawaiian Kingdom during the monarchy period, its evolution into a recognized sovereign nation on the global stage, and how the United States came to occupy Hawai‘i.
- Hawaiian language resources. ‘Ōlelo Hawai‘i is the sound of this ʻāina, the soul of this ʻāina. We are decades and even generations into the revitalization of our language, and it is something that everyone should speak if they feel a connection to this place. Individual efforts and organizational strengths have ensured that our language is again reverberating across our pae ʻāina. Be part of the movement. E ola ka ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi!
- Learn basic Hawaiian language on Duolingo.
- Waihona.net. Free online Hawaiian resources for the ‘ohana.
- The Royal Hōlua Slide at Keauhou. An interactive map, media gallery, and online resource. Kāneaka is a prominent Hōlua slide that descends Pu‘u o Ka‘omilā‘o, on ‘āina stewarded by Ke Kula ‘o Kamehameha. Along with restoration work along the shoreline and other parts of the community, this prominent structure is an impressive reminder of the ingenuity and engineering skill of our kūpuna.