Jason Momoa’s Ka’iana made an important trade exchange with Vai, the Hawaiian woman he met in Zamboanga, in the latest episode of Apple TV+’s Chief of War. While this trade ensured that the war Chief would have an adequate supply of firearms to revolt against the Hawaiian King Kahekili, could this trade bring trouble for Ka’iana and his people in the long run?
Apple TV+’s Hawaiian historical series featured an important political move by Vai, where she proposes a troublesome deal to Ka’iana. She promises to give him firearms in exchange for Hawaiian Sandalwood, an exotic and the highest kind of wood on the Islands, to gain some control over the impending British arrival.
While Ka’iana saw the procurement of firearms as a necessary move for now, his Sandalwood trade is symbolic of Hawaii’s eventual colonization by Westerners in Chief of War.
Here is how Ka’iana’s sandalwood trade could have larger implications on the narrative.
What is Ka’iana’s sandalwood deal with Vai in Chief of War?
Episode 4 of Chief of War saw Ka’iana struggling to secure firearms and return to the Hawaiian Islands, where he would eventually start his revolt against the King. However, his plans are halted in search of Tony, who has been captured by the colonizers in Zamboanga. Tony’s disappearance was orchestrated by Marley, one of his former shipmates, who sold Tony to the slave traders and stole the maps to the Hawaiian Islands.
As Ka’iana continues his search for Tony, he comes across something so inhumane and diabolical that he is filled with rage. He sees women, men, and even babies caged like animals by slave traders. When he begins to free them, he is stopped by a slave trader, who sends Spanish soldiers on the manhunt for Ka’iana.
However, in between his cat and mouse chase with the Spanish soldiers, Ka’iana again meets with Vai in Chief of War Episode 4, who reveals that she has finally procured the promised firearms for him to take back home. However, she decides to trade the firearms against Hawaiian sandalwood, a resource she is sure will interest English traders and turn beneficial for her to control the British influence.
The proposed Sandalwood trade by Vai suggests that she is among the few Hawaiian natives who have made peace with the fact that Western influence will reach the Islands, sooner or later. However, to make the most of this situation, she plans to open trade between the English and Hawai’i, and Ka’iana becomes a key figure in her political maneuverings.
How will the Sandalwood trade affect Ka’iana and Hawaii in Chief of War?
While Ka’iana reluctantly agreed to Vai’s arms-against-sandalwood trade in Chief of War Episode 4, following which he sailed off with Tony and the firearms to his home, the trade will likely have tragic implications for the Islands and the native Hawaiian culture at large.
Hawaii, which was a land of intrigue and exotic treasures for Westerners, harboured many native flora and fauna among its deeply thick and luscious forests. However, one of its plant species naturally stood out from the rest- the Hawaiian Sandalwood.
Vai’s proposal for trading Hawaiian Sandalwood in exchange for firearms with Chief of War is not random, but rather deeply rooted in Hawaiian culture and the subsequent end of it. The natural Hawaiian Sandalwood was among the most fragrant woods in the world, used by natives to scent their bedding and night clothes. Its medicinal and cooling properties were sworn by Natives, which lured Westerners because of its sweet smell.
Ka’iana’s trade with Vai is symbolic of the impending Western colonization of Hawaii, which stripped it of its natural resources like sandalwood to such an extent that we don’t see many Hawaiian Sandalwood trees on the Islands now. While the war chief sees this trade as a necessary means for now, it might eventually become one of the entry points of Western civilization, threatening the beautiful and native culture of the Islands.
Chief of War releases new episodes on Apple TV+ every Friday.
For the latest scoops on your favorite TV shows and movies, follow SoapCentral.
Edited by Aashna