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40 different types of kahuna are listed in the book, ''Tales from the Night Rainbow.'' Kamakau lists more than 20 in the healing professions alone. Kahuna la'au lapa'au was an expert in healing, kalai wa'a an expert canoe maker, ho'okele an expert navigator. Many myths have grown up around kahuna. One is that kahuna were outlawed after the white man came to Hawai'i. Although it is true that at various times specific kahuna practices were made illegal, including healing people through "superstitious means," for the most part, most kahuna practices remained legal. (Chai) However, during the decline of native Hawaiian culture many kahuna died out and did not pass on their wisdom to new students. As an example, when the Hokule'a was built to be sailed to the South Pacific to prove the voyaging capabilities of the ancient Hawaiians, master navigator Mau Piailug from Satawal was brought to Hawai'i to teach the Hawaiians navigation, as no Hawaiians could be found who still had this knowledge. With the revival of the Hawaiian culture beginning in the 1970s, some Hawaiians call themselves kahuna today. In an episode of the American TV show "Magnum P.I.", it is said that a Kahuna can be identified by a "red flash" in his eyes. The word has been given an esoteric or secret meaning by modern followers of Max Freedom Long and Huna . NON-HAWAIIAN USES The use of the term in reference to Surfing can be traced back to the film Gidget (1959), in which 'The Big Kahuna', played by Cliff Robertson , was the leader of a group of surfers. The term then became commonplace in Beach Party Film s of the 1960s such as '' Beach Blanket Bingo '', where the "Big Kahuna" was the best surfer on the beach. Eventually, it was adopted into general surfing culture. Hawaiian surfing master Duke Kahanamoku may have been referred to as the "Big Kahuna" but rejected the term as he knew the true meaning of the word.(Hall)
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