Iolani Palace
Kapa'au, Hawaii
Hilo, Hawaii
Washington, D.C.
There are four statues: one in downtown Honolulu, in front of the Iolani Palace. Another is the original statue at the king’s birthplace in Kapa'au on the Big Island, a 14-foot, five-ton statue in Hilo, Hawaii. Lastly, Washington, D.C. in the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center. His statues consist of a helmet of rare feathers attached to woven plant fibers. The gilded cloak is based on one that Kamehameha's subjects made by weaving yellow feathers of native birds into a fine mesh net. The spear in his left hand symbolizes the ability to defend oneself and one's nation; it is also a reminder that Kamehameha ended the wars among the Hawaiian people. His right hand is extended in a gesture of aloha, the traditional spirit of friendly greeting.
