A Traveler's Guide to 'Chief of War'

""We wanted to film in locations that aren't frequently shot," he told Condé Nast Traveler, "so we said, 'No Kualoa.'""

""Kahekili wanted Kualoa," says Sibbett. "Kualoa's also the area where whale bones will come ashore, and whale bones were considered extremely sacred.""

Chief of War is a historical drama set in late 18th and early 19th century Hawaii that focuses on inter-island power struggles and native Hawaiian perspectives. The production initially avoided Kualoa Ranch because of its frequent use as a filming location but selected it for specific scenes due to historical and cultural significance tied to Kahekili's attack on Oahu and the sacredness of whale bones that wash ashore there. Early episodes feature dialogue entirely in ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi, and encounters with westerners called "paleskins" remain largely incidental to aliʻi ambitions. Jason Momoa co-created and stars in the series.

Read at Conde Nast Traveler