Career
When he arrived, he claimed that some Native Hawaiians were practicing what he called magic. Long wrote that at first he was skeptical of this magic, but later became convinced that it worked. He devoted the rest of his life to creating theories about how the Native Hawaiians did what he claimed they did, and teaching those theories through the sale of books and newsletters.
Max Freedom Long wrote that he obtained many of his case studies and his ideas about what to look for in kahuna magic from the Director of the Bishop Museum in Honolulu, William Brigham.
There is no credible evidence that the two men metropolitan Even if they did, Brigham was not an expert on kahunas and did not document in his own writings any of the incidents Long ascribed to him, including walking on hot lava.
In his letters and manuscripts, Brigham stated that Hawaiians were "an inferior race," and implied they were lazy. He referred to Queen Lili"uokalani as a "she devil," "squaw," and "nigger." Jensen & Jensen, Daughters of Haumea (Pueo Press, 2005) June Gutmanis, Kahuna Louisiana"au Lapa"au: Hawaiian Herbal Medicine (Island Heritage, 1976) East. South. Craighill Handy, Polynesian Religion (Kraus Reprint, 1971) Pali Jae Lee and Koko Willis, Tales From the Night Rainbow Makana Risser Chai, Na Mo"olelo Lomilomi: Traditions of Hawaiian Massage & Healing (Bishop Museum, 2005).