Mission
The purpose of this series is 1) to document the life story
and cultural knowledge of Chief Tavana Salmon; 2) Through his
story we will explore the question: “What makes someone Polynesian?”
3) to ultimately captivate and inspire viewers of all walks of life
to participate in the cultivation of world traditions.
Synopsis
This is the true story of the last of the Tahitian Chiefs,
Matagialalua Tavana Salmon. Now in his 80ʼs, he was
born to the niece of the Queen of Tahiti, and a since
forgotten, wealthy American. Tavanaʼs journey takes
him throughout Polynesia to recover the lost traditions
of his native Tahiti and reclaim his place in the line of
Tahitian Royalty. With a bitter wit and love of all things
Polynesian, Tavana is controversial, and out-spoken,
unforgiving and humorous, irreverent and playful.
A cross between a French Sitting Bull and a Tahitian
Bukowski, he is unmistakably a living treasure for all of
Polynesia. His love affair with Hawaii begins when his
father retrieves him from Tahiti at the age of 7, and takes
him to live with a stranger in Hilo on the Big Island.
He will eventually criss-cross the Pacific in search of his
mother, his Tahitian roots, and ultimately his place in History.
Lost Rites is a documentary style series that becomes an investigative search for who Chief Tavana Salmon is and how the Tahitian icon and showman was shaped by his odyssey through the Pacific to ultimately becoming a catalyst to the modern revival of Polynesian Culture.