Thomas Paʻakaiokahonua “Paʻa” Sibbett, a BYU–Hawaii, Hawaiian Studies graduate, discovered his love of culture and storytelling through his family and mentors. While attending BYU–Hawaii, he met his wife, found his purpose, and strengthened his faith. Now a groundbreaking creator, writer, and producer, Sibbett is best known for projects such as Chief of War, Aquaman, and Braven, sharing powerful stories with audiences around the world.
Where Identity Took Shape
Raised in Washington state, Sibbett grew up deeply connected to Hawaiian culture through his parents, both of whom graduated from Brigham Young University–Hawaii, where they met while studying and working at the Polynesian Cultural Center (PCC). His mother is from Nānākuli, Hawaiʻi, and his father—raised on a cattle ranch in the small town of Wayan, Idaho—comes from a family line rooted in Maui. Together, his parents raised Sibbett with a strong sense of identity, faith, and belonging.
Sibbett reflected, “To be honest, I always wanted to go to BYU–Hawaii. My parents are graduates of Nanakuli High School; that’s where my dad met my mom. That’s how they raised us.”
Stories in Motion
From an early age, Sibbett understood that Hawaiian storytelling was more than words alone, it was carried through dance, movement, and memory. He remembers performing with his family.
“We had a small dance troupe, my family, my dad’s brother, his cousin, and their families,” he said. “We grew up performing together. Sometimes we needed those performances to help cover the rent, but what mattered most was how it kept our family together.”
Reflecting on those lessons, he added, “Growing up, I understood that we tell our stories in many ways—often in ways more impactful than writing them down—because our stories were never originally written.”
The Push Forward
After graduating from high school, Sibbett served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Tokyo, Japan. Upon his return, his college choice was clear, though his academic path was uncertain.
“I’ll be honest, I wasn’t a strong student,” he admitted. “My GPA was low for an out-of-state student in Hawaiʻi.”
Encouragement from mentors—especially Auntie JoAnn Lowe, who worked in the Admissions Office—helped him move forward. He was admitted to summer school, where he proved himself and transitioned to full-time enrollment at BYU–Hawaii. Reflecting on that support, he said, “I had really good people in my corner.”
Walking in Familiar Footsteps
At BYU–Hawaii, Sibbett found himself surrounded by others continuing family legacies. Many, like him, were second-generation students whose parents had studied and performed at the university. “Being part of BYUH, meeting our spouses, starting families. It felt like following in our parents’ footsteps,” he said.
As a student, Sibbett embraced opportunities at the Polynesian Cultural Center, working as a dancer and later as a Japanese-speaking tour guide. He also worked at Kualoa Ranch, where he met people from around the world. “I loved being around different cultures and the friendships that came with that,” he said.
In the early 2000s, Sibbett joined the PCC promotional team, an experience that broadened his understanding of both local and global cultures. In 2005, he traveled to China as part of a cultural delegation led by then-Governor Linda Lingle. The team also represented the Polynesian Cultural Center and BYU–Hawaii in Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam, Korea, and across the United States. “It was a meaningful way to represent not just the Polynesian Cultural Center, but the university as well,” he said.
The Confidence to Create
Sibbett’s writing journey began at the university, encouraged by his English teacher, Debbie Frampton. “I remember complaining that we had to read a book and write a book report,” he said. After finishing the book in class, he was deeply disappointed with the ending. “I hated the ending so much that I threw the book across the room,” he said. “I told my teacher it was terrible.”
Instead of discouraging him, she challenged him. “She said, ‘Maybe you could write a better one.’” Motivated, Sibbett spent the weekend rewriting the ending. When he turned it in, Frampton told him his version was better than the original and asked if he had ever considered majoring in English. “Of course, I never thought that,” Sibbett recalled. “But she always took my work seriously, she made me feel like my projects were good.” That experience strengthened his confidence as a writer and helped shape who he would become.
Although he did not see these moments as signs of a future career at the time, their impact lingered. “I didn’t see myself as a writer,” he said, “but it stayed with me.”
A Story Takes Hold
A Hawaiian language course at BYU–Hawaii further influenced Sibbett’s life. Before class one day, a conversation with H. Kaʻumealani K. Walk, wife of Professor Kamoaʻe Walk, sparked his imagination.
“She talked about Hawaiian executioners,” Sibbett said. “The idea that breaking kapu could lead to execution fascinated me. Because the kapu system was religious, I saw it as priestly execution.” Inspired, an idea began to take shape. Though the concept stayed with him, he still had no intention of becoming a writer. “I never considered writing as a career,” he said. “I didn’t even know you could make money doing it. I just thought the idea was compelling, and I started developing it in my mind.”
The Unwritten Path
As graduation approached, Sibbett made an unconventional request to Uncle Bill Wallace, then dean of Hawaiian Studies: permission to write a screenplay as his senior project. “He said yes,” Sibbett recalled. “I was the first and probably only student to write a screenplay as a senior project.”
The result was an ambitious script. “There was no way it could be made,” Sibbett said. “So I held onto it.” Still, elements of that early work endured. In episode five of Chief of War, the hōlua sled race closely mirrors a story Wallace once shared with him. “That scene is almost word-for-word how Uncle Bill told it to me,” Sibbett said. “It was my way of honoring him.”
The Story That Turned Heads
Sibbett later wrote a second script centered on Kaluakoʻolau (“Koʻolau”), a Hawaiian foreman and cowboy who resisted a militia shortly after the overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom. “That script got attention,” he said. “It got people in the industry to look at my work.” Hawaiian stories were what launched his career.
When imagining who could portray Koʻolau, one name stood out: Jason Momoa. At the time, Momoa was not yet a household name. Without an agent, Sibbett contacted Momoa’s father, who had graduated alongside his aunt. Moved by Sibbett’s vision, Momoa’s father provided the name of his son’s agent. After submitting the script, Sibbett received a call. “He told me he loved the script,” Sibbett said. “It took a few minutes before I realized who I was talking to.” Then came the words that changed his life: “Jason said, ‘I don’t know who you are or where you came from, but I have to work with you.’”
Still, both needed time to grow professionally. “I needed to build a sustainable career as a writer,” Sibbett said. “I had to go through the process of becoming an expert in my field and earn people’s confidence.”
Sibbett first pitched the story to Momoa 12 years before Chief of War, long before Momoa’s rise to stardom. Over the years, the two collaborated on several projects. Chief of War marked the first time they told a Hawaiian story together. "It's very hard in the industry to do something nobody’s ever done before,” Sibbett said.
Created to Create
Looking back, Sibbett sees his journey through the lens of faith. “The scripture that says we are created in God’s image reminds me that if God is a creator, then I am a creator too,” he said. Choosing to become a writer was a value-driven decision. “I wasn’t going to chase a dream at the expense of my family,” he said. “I made choices—like not working on Sundays—and trusted that success already existed for me.”
As a creator, he believes words shape reality. “You have to be careful about what you say, out loud and in your head,” he said. “If you say, ‘This is hard’ or ‘I’m not good at this,’ that’s what you create.” Instead, Sibbett chose alignment. “God is the ultimate creator,” he said. “I’m the co-creator of my life.”
The Spirit Speaks
One of Sibbett’s most powerful spiritual experiences came during a Polynesian Cultural Center promotional visit to Salt Lake City. After performing, he and his wife were invited to bear their testimony during dinner with the prophet.
“I prepared my testimony because I wanted to sound intelligent,” he said. “We were giving kukui nut leis, and I talked about their symbolism and the light of Christ. I thought I did great.” Then it was his wife’s turn. “You could feel it was purely from the Spirit,” he said. “She was incredible.” The contrast left a lasting impression, especially when the prophet shook her hand telling her how good of a job she did, then waved to all of us and walked out.
“I learned that a testimony should come from the Spirit,” Sibbett said. “Not from trying to sound smart—just from the heart.”
Prepared to Stand Firm
For Sibbett, BYU–Hawaii provided the foundation for his unwavering faith. “It gave me my wife. It gave me my family,” he said. “It shaped who I am today.”
In an industry where faith can be difficult to express openly, he credits the university with preparing him to stand firm. “I’ve been in rooms where I had to say who I am, what I believe, and why,” he said. “I wouldn’t have been able to do that without the foundation I got at BYUH.”