Posted on: Wednesday, September 17, 2003

Respect urged for statue at Capitol

By Derrick DePledge
Advertiser Washington Bureau

WASHINGTON — Wearing traditional capes and lei, leaders of Hawai'i's royal societies met yesterday with the architect of the U.S. Capitol to gently prod for better treatment of a King Kamehameha statue here.

The six-ton, bronze likeness of the warrior king is on display in a corner of the Capitol. Hawaiians and others were stunned this summer after a KITV television reporter and others observed congressional aides making inappropriate remarks about the statue's lack of clothing during tours for visitors.

Alan Hantman, the Capitol architect, has described the incidents as regrettable and is working with Hawai'i Reps. Ed Case and Neil Abercrombie on a new historical narrative on Kamehameha for tour guides and congressional staff.

"We very much appreciate the consideration you have given to the problem," Margaret Stafford, president of 'Ahahui Ka'ahumanu, said during an afternoon meeting in Hantman's Capitol basement office. "We are quite satisfied."

Hantman told the group that the Kamehameha statue is placed in a corner because of its weight, and may be moved after construction is completed on a new underground visitors center. Each state has two statues at the Capitol, and, because of tight space, the statues are scattered throughout the building. Hawai'i's other statue is of Father Damien.

"They need to be treated with more respect," Hantman said of the statues.

Hailama Farden, the state president of Hale O Na Ali'i O Hawai'i, asked the architect to recognize Kamehameha's significance to Hawai'i if the statue is moved to the visitors center. Farden said he was "worried about putting our king under a parking lot."

"I would be more comfortable knowing that no one was walking over the head of our king," he said.

Abercrombie, D-Hawai'i, said he was pleased with the way the architect responded to complaints about Kamehameha's treatment and location. "I expect it will be moved," he said.

Case, D-Hawai'i, said he would make sure that the information provided to guides about Kamehameha is "accurate and respectful."

"He took it seriously," Case said of Hantman. "I give him credit for that."

Royal society leaders are making their first collective trip here this week to join trustees of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs to lobby for a Native Hawaiian federal recognition bill. At the end of the meeting with Hantman, Colette Machado, an OHA trustee, drew laughter when she told the architect that society leaders were being too polite.

King Kamehameha, Machado said bluntly, "deserves a more prominent place in the nation's Capitol."