Kahuna is a Hawaiian word, defined as a respectful man who has moral authority in society "a prime person, a minister, or an expert in any profession". Merriam-Webster defines kahuna as "a preeminent person or thing" and "Hawaiian shaman".With the revival of the Hawaiian culture beginning in the 1970s, some native Hawaiian cultural practitioners call themselves kahuna today. Others disdain the term. In the New Age spiritual system known as Huna, which uses Hawaiian words and is adapted from Hawaiian tradition, kahuna similarly denotes someone of priestly or shamanic standing. |