At our hotel there was this statue of Bernice Pauahi Bishop. Bishop was an important figure in Hawaiian history and also ultimately in Dallas’s life because she created Kamehameha schools.
From Wikipedia (where else?):
Bernice Pauahi Bishop (December 19, 1831 – October 16, 1884), born Bernice Pauahi Paki, was a Hawaiian philanthropist, ali’i, and direct descendant of the royal House of Kamehameha. She was the great-granddaughter of King Kamehameha I and the last surviving descendant of his royal line. Her estate is the largest private landowner in the state of Hawai’i. The revenues from these lands are used to operate the Kamehameha Schools, which were established in 1887 according to Pauahi’s last will and testament. Pauahi was married to businessman and philanthropist Charles Reed Bishop.
Bishop’s dying wish was that a portion of her estate be used to set up a school. When she wrote her will only 44,000 Hawaiians were alive so she also stipulated that preference should be given “Hawaiians of pure or part aboriginal blood.”
This statue was created by Kamehameha Schools graduate Sean Kekamak’pa‘a Ka‘nohiokalani Lee Loy Browne. It was unveiled in December 2007.
