On the island paradise of Hawaii, thousands of acres of untamed jungle are home to wild beasts and the men who live off the land in the ancient ways of their ancestors. Generations of families have claimed, maintained and fought over their own sacred hunting trails. When the dry season comes, wild boar, goats, feral bulls and small game crisscross the island in search for water. These clans must do whatever it takes to protect their turf.
But in a land where traditions run deep and ancient spirits rule the mountains, hunting is about more than putting food on the table. It's about respecting the family and revering the ancestors.
AMERICAN JUNGLE, a new series on HISTORY, follows several tight-knit clans as they hunt the old way-with knives and spears-and battle for control of their territory. The eight-part series premieres Sunday, November 10 at 10 pm ET on HISTORY.
About the clans:
The powerful Spear Clan, descended from Hawaiian royalty, has
Hunted and preserved their trails for more than 150 years. The trails fell into decline and other clans saw opportunity. Their leader Scotty is determined to return the clan to its former power. Scotty turned his back on his family and traditions seven years ago and left for the mainland. Now he is back and seeking redemption.
The Rosa Clan survives entirely off of the land. Clan leader Tony was estranged for the past ten years, and has reconnected with his son Isaac, 19, to teach him the ways of his family. The clan is small, and if Isaac doesn't learn, the family's knowledge of the jungle will end with Tony. The Rosa's chief rivals are the Correas. The clans began feuding nearly 40 years ago.
Pa, 67, is the leader of the Correa Clan. He descends from the legendary "Barefoot Hunter" from the island of Oahu. When Oahu became developed as a tourist destination, Pa moved the family to the Big Island and carved out his own trails. Game became the main source of food for his rapidly growing family. So keen were his hunting abilities that he brought home enough food to feed some 20 immediate family members. Now in his sunset years, he needs to make a hard decision-which of his sons will take his place.
Johnny Blaze is leader of the Blood Clan. The former
College Football star and his friends Eric and Kalei teamed up to learn the ways of the jungle. They are a band of outlaws who hunt all the trails in the belief that the jungle belongs to no one clan. Seldom seen by other clans, it is believed that the Bloods are mystically in touch with the spirits of the jungle and engage in strange rituals, such as drinking the blood of their kill.
The Cowboy Clan is led by Curly, a highly skilled horseman who possesses deadly precision with a lasso. He and his trusted partner Lionel are descendents of a long line of Californian-Mexican vaqueros (cowboys). They hunt the plains on horseback and like the Bloods, they don't respect the idea of trails
Being owned.
Chewy and Prophet of the Ocean Clan are born and bred locals who don't take kindly to intruders. Their behavior and alliances are completely unpredictable, changing their tactics to suit whatever the situation calls for. Most clans would rather keep the peace than to cross them.
Because they don't own trails and are not respected on the island, the Outsiders are not a clan, but they
ASPiRE to be one. Big Joe, born in Oklahoma, learned the ways of the jungle from the local elders. He discovered early on that hunting means asking permission of the clans who claim ancestral heritage of the trails. Mark, born on the military base outside Hilo, learned the ways of the jungle from his father before they had a falling out. The pair realized that, as outsiders, they will always be at the mercy of the powerful clans unless they make a name for themselves.
AMERICAN JUNGLE is produced for HISTORY by This is Just a Test. Aengus James and Colin King Miller are executive producer for This is Just a Test. Julian P. Hobbs is executive producer for HISTORY.
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