The ancient Hawaiian art of feather work that nearly went extinct has been a centerpiece for the new Apple TV+ series "Chief of War."
At the opening premiere of the historical drama in July, show runners Thomas Pa‘a Sibbett and Jason Momoa were seen on the red carpet wearing the prestigious feather cape known as ‘ahu ‘ula.
The cultural consultant behind the show's feather work is Rick San Nicolas, a California-based kumu hulu nui, or master of Hawaiian feather work. He was in charge of ensuring that the capes, lei, and helmets were as close to what they would have looked like when the Hawaiian islands were divided into separate kingdoms.
“The feather work is probably the biggest part in telling that story,” San Nicolas said. “You cannot tell Hawai‘i’s story without lei hulu (feather lei), without ‘ahu ‘ula (feather cloak), without mahiole (feather helmet).”
The art of making ‘ahu ‘ula has seen a revival over the past several years, with a small but growing number of practitioners perfecting their craft and passing on their knowledge to the next generation.
San Nicolas, who is of Hawaiian and Chamorro descent, is self-taught and uses traditional methods to recreate capes, helmets and lei. He's replicated several ʻahu ʻula, including Kauaʻi's King Kaumualiʻi's feather cape that's on display at the Kauaʻi Museum, and the feather cape gifted to Capt. James Cook by King Kalaniʻōpuʻu that’s on display at the Australian Museum.
He has also served as the cultural adviser for the feather work in the local short film “Kūkini.” In "Chief of War," San Nicolas said the costume team had to use sewing machines to produce more than 100 ‘ahu ‘ula within two years.
He spends 12 to 16 hours each day working on his craft and said he typically goes to bed around 3 a.m. every day.
“Anybody that makes a feather cape, hats off to you,” San Nicolas said. “You’re doing what so few people do in the world today.”
A status of power
Before Western contact, feathered cloaks and capes adorned the shoulders of high-ranking Hawaiian chiefs, or aliʻi. The warring chiefs were described as wearing their feathered capes and helmets into brutal battles.
But making ‘ahu ‘ula is not an easy task. It would take a village to gather feathers from birds in upland forest areas, and it would take years to make the netting from the olona plant and sew the feathers individually to make geometric patterns.
If aliʻi had the red and yellow colors of ʻahu ʻula, it means they had access to land in the upland forest areas, according to Marques Marzan, Bishop Museum's cultural adviser.
“When you see full-length cloaks, it means that there were a lot of people who committed themselves, their families, and their abilities to that chief,” he said.
The feather work gatherers were particular about the bird feathers they used to sew intricate patterns on the cape. Some bird gatherers in the Hawaiian Kingdom era would capture and release ʻiʻiwi, ʻōʻō, ʻapapane, and mamo.
Marzan said gatherers only plucked a few feathers from the birds to preserve their longevity, which added to how long it took to make ʻahu ʻula.
“It took thousands and thousands of birds to amass the quantity necessary to create an ʻahu ʻula,” he said.
Bishop Museum has the largest collection of feather capes in the world, with 44 ʻahu ʻula in its possession, according to Marzan.
One that is prominently displayed is the feathered cloak and helmet that Kalaniʻōpuʻu gave to Capt. James Cook in 1779, which was returned from the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa after more than a hundred years.
It's unclear how many ʻahu ʻula from the Hawaiian Kingdom period still exist worldwide. Marzan said that many ʻahu ʻula were gifted to explorers, which their families may have acquired.
In 2018, King Kamehameha II's ʻahu ʻula was destroyed in a fire while at the National Museum of Brazil.
Hawaiian royals stopped wearing ʻahu ʻula in the late 19th century after the influence of Christian missionaries and the decline of native birds. But the feathered cloaks were passed down throughout the royal family.
Feather work has seen a revival before. Marzan said that Queen Lili‘uokalani revived a small group of Hawaiian feather workers and instructed them to preserve the practice.
“She was an advocate of this practice, and there was this hui (group) that maintained that practice up until her passing,” Marzan said. “They fulfilled their obligation and were able to assemble and create a kāhili (feather staff) for her lying state and funeral ceremony.”
Ruffled feathers
For Native Hawaiian Fashion Designer and Kumu Hula Micah Kamohoalii, making ʻahu ʻula is ceremonial and sacred. He will pule (pray) and oli (chant) before he begins his work on a ʻahu ʻula.
“In modern day, there still should be that connection because you're still doing the same art form that was for thousands of years,” he said. "You’re supposed to do the prayers to ask your guardians to lead you to create the ʻahu ʻula.”
Kamohoalii, who is from Waimea on Hawaiʻi Island, said feather work has been a part of his life since he was a child.
The work has changed over the years for many cultural practitioners, as they have noticed the decline of native birds and the increased effort required to gather their feathers. Now, many purchase feathers. Some come from pheasants because they resemble similar colors to the original ʻahu ʻula, while others use chicken feathers and dye them.
In 2022, Kamohoalii and his models wore ʻahu ʻula during London Fashion Week and at the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II to pay their respects to the United Kingdom's late monarch.
“We made it for perpetuation,” he said.
He tries to teach his students to learn the geology, history, and protocols it takes before doing the feather work.
During the opening premiere of "Chief of War," many took to social media to comment on the showrunners wearing ʻahu ʻula. Some have questioned the use of wearing the feathered capes when the Hawaiian royals have traditionally worn them.
“There are heavy protocols that go with this, and let's not forget about them,” Kamohoalii said. “Let's not throw them out the door, because Hollywood is here. Do not forget who we are. We worked so hard to revive these things, not so we can bastardize them or now treat them without any regard for sacredness, or it's just costuming.”
HPR's new podcast, "Feathers and Fire," recaps and discusses each episode of "Chief of War," and dives into the real history behind the show.
