King Kamehameha III bronze statue to be unveiled at Thomas Square

Native Hawaiian groups and royal societies will join Mayor Kirk Caldwell and other officials Tuesday at Thomas Square as they dedicate a 12-foot-tall bronze statue of King Kamehameha III and a flagpole that will fly only the Hawaiian flag.

The ceremony will take place on the 175th anniversary of La Hoihoi Ea, also known as Sovereignty Restoration Day. On that date in 1843, British Pacific Fleet commander Adm. Richard Thomas ordered the Union Jack flag lowered in favor of the Hawaiian flag after wresting authority over the islands from Lord George Paulet, a Royal Navy officer who held Hawaii for five months under a military occupation, and handing it back to Kamehameha III.

To honor Thomas, Honolulu’s first park under the monarchy was given his name.

The statue, which depicts the king in Western military garb, was created by Oregon artist Thomas Jay Warren for $250,000 through the Mayor’s Office of Culture and the Arts.

The statue and flag, as well as a signage wall explaining what happened on the historic day, are part of the first two phases of a three-phase repair and improvement project at Thomas Square initiated by Caldwell. Completed improvements include a new irrigation system, lawns and walkways.

Caldwell wanted to create an entirely new master plan for the park but was constrained by the City Council, which required that funds in the city budget for Thomas Square be used only for repair and improvements, not for a total revamp. Council members Carol Fukunaga and Ann Kobayashi, who represent the surrounding communities, opposed the plan, stating they were worried Caldwell was trying to commercialize the park.

On Friday, Caldwell insisted that was not his intent, saying he wants to “work with the community to activate the park.”

Concerns have been raised by some in the Hawaiian community that a pathway of markers forming the Hawaiian flag was being removed in the renovation. Misty Kela‘i, head of the Mayor’s Office of Culture and the Arts, said the path will be restored as part of the project’s third phase.

Kumu Ainsley Halemanu, who will conduct the opening prayer Tuesday, said Kamehameha III deserves the recognition. “He had to deal with the rest of the world coming to Hawaii,” Halemanu said. “He made the great transition from the old to the new.”

Tuesday’s ceremony begins at 10 a.m. It is separate from a La Hoihoi Ea observance planned for 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday at Thomas Square. That event is organized by Hawaiian independence groups and others, and for decades has been held on the Sunday before Sovereignty Restoration Day.

Daniel Anthony, one of the organizers of Sunday’s event, encouraged the public to attend both celebrations. He said he’s happy city officials want to commemorate La Hoihoi Ea so more people can learn the significance of the date.

“It’s important that they be honest and truthful in portraying the history,” he said. “If they can convey the truth of the history, then we’re going to work with them.”

For more about Sunday’s event, visit lahoihoiea.org.