In ancient Hawaiian culture, mana was a supernatural power that was bestowed on selected individuals by the gods. The ancient chiefs had great mana this also meant that their tribe had mana. The two are tied together. If the chief loses his mana, so does his tribe. A way to gain mana is by demonstrating victory through war. Before the Hawaiian Islands were united, they were all at war with each other. A chief and his tribe would gain mana from winning a battle (Patterson 2000, p 229-233).