Hawaiian royal societies paid tribute to King Kamehameha yesterday in a ceremony steeped in tradition and which served as a reminder of the man who united the Hawaiian Islands.

"When I look at Kamehameha, he's the model of leadership," said Corbett A.K. Kalama, a Kamehameha Schools trustee and speaker at yesterday's ceremony at the King Kamehameha statue opposite 'Iolani Palace.

Another Kamehameha (Kamehameha V) established the day of recognition in 1871 as a tribute to his grandfather, who was born in 1758.

Dozens of royal society members attended the ceremony, which has been held at the statue since 1914 and sponsored by Mamakakaua (The Daughters and Sons of the Hawaiian Warriors).

Women were dressed in black or white holomu'u and men were in black suits draped with traditional capes in the red and gold designs of their ancestors. Some of the capes were handed-down treasures, faded but worn with pride and dignity befitting of the royal lineage they represent.

Kumu Poni Kamauu, dressed in a white kikepa and carrying ti leaf, began the event by chanting an oli to lead a solemn procession of Mamakakaua members, including kupuna and keiki.

Members of the Royal Order of Kamehameha, the 'Ahahui Ka'ahumanu and the Hale O Na Ali'i O Hawai'i Nei followed with their ho'okupu: offerings of lei and ti leaf-wrapped gifts placed at the base of the king's statue.

About two dozen members of the public also attended, paying their respects.

Kalama talked about the struggles of Kamehameha and reminded the 'opio, the youth, that with struggle comes strength.

"The Hawaiians knew about sustainability a long time ago," he said, adding that more than 1 million Hawaiians lived off the land before Western contact. "That is because our ali'i and the people that were leading us had a very strong kapu system that respected nature."

The members of the various royal societies represent families that were supporters and enemies of the great king, said Colin Kalama-Malani, Corbett Kalama's brother and a member of Mamakakaua.

Mostly kupuna braved the hot morning sun through the hour-long tribute.

"You may have been at odds with Kamehameha," Kalama-Malani said. "You may not have supported him during the wars of the unification. It doesn't matter. We all come together as one and we all cherish our ali'i and our traditions."