Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1538245
When I first started on Chief of War, I thought I knew about Hawai'i. I'm an American, and I learned American history, including Hawai'i. Right? Nope! Hawai'i was a kingdom the reverence they showed for their ancestors gave me goose bumps. I spent the most time with Kumu Rick San Nicolas (kumu means teacher in 'Ōlelo Hawai'i), learning about ancient featherwork, specifically the capes, and how they were made. Huihui Kanahele-Mossman from the Edith Kanaka'ole Foundation taught us about garment silhouees, styles of wrapping and twisting kapa, and explained the significance of native plants and birds used in dress and adornment. For example, we looked at wraps that might have been worn by women who worked and women who didn't and learned about the significance of ties on the le opposed to the right. All these details were vital, as Costume Designer Caroline Eselin wanted to ensure authenticity, and to pay proper respect to their Native Hawaiian ancestors, Native Hawaiian history, and the story that we were telling. Caroline and Assistant Costume Designer Marina Reti did a lot of research on their own, learning about native birds, shells, plants, and fibers. While discussing cape shapes and designs, we would discuss the significance of the motifs and feathers that the Native Hawaiians would have used and tried to use a similar visual language for our capes. I was fascinated by it all and absorbed as much as I could. I was able to visit the Bishop Museum in Honolulu and see examples of these stunning capes from our period, and preserved feathers of these extinct birds with my own eyes. Nothing compared to taking a backstage tour in the Te Building the History through Garments By Heather Vandergriff Bringing Bringing Hawaiian Hawaiian Mo'olelo Mo'olelo to Life to Life Heather Vandergriff with ʻahuʻula aliʻi 24 FALL 2025 with its own rich culture and history that was nearly wiped out by colonization. There is so much we don't know. Thankfully, our production hired cultural advisors, and they were able to teach us what they knew about ancient Native Hawaiian garments, the structure of ancient Native Hawaiian life, and many other topics. We also had access to language advisors hired for the actors, and they provided a continual wealth of knowledge throughout the process. From the first moment meeting our advisors, I felt something special. Just the way they talked and