Feathered cape worn by Warrior Chief Kekuaokalani returns to Hawai‘i

The feathered cape of Warrior Chief Keaoua Kekuaokalani has been returned to Hawai‘i.

U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), vice chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, celebrated the return of the sacred ‘ahu‘ula (feathered cape), which the chief wore in the Battle of Kuamoʻo in North Kona in 1819.

The return is being carried out under the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act. The cape was housed at the Smithsonian Museum.

During a recent ceremony at the museum’s Support Center in Suitland, Maryland, Hawai‘i leaders highlighted the bravery and leadership exhibited by Kekuaokalani and the example he has set for our leaders to follow. The cape has since been escorted back to the state and will be temporarily housed at Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park until the full repatriation process has concluded.

“This is about more than just complying with federal law — it’s about doing what is right, and respecting and preserving Native Hawaiian cultural heritage,” said Schatz. “I’m grateful to the cultural practitioners, descendants, and leaders who fought to make this rightful return happen. We must keep up the work and the pressure to bring ancestral remains and cultural items back home.”

The 1819 battle marked a pivotal turning point in Hawaiian history, ending the traditional kapu system that governed almost every aspect of daily life on the islands.