WASHINGTON — With traditional hula and flower lei, more than 400 people gathered in the nation's Capitol yesterday to observe the birthday of King Kamehameha and praise his legacy as a warrior and unifier of the Hawaiian people.

"I was totally amazed," said O'ahu native Darlene Butts, who helped organize the event.

The event was held in the new half-billion dollar Capitol Visitors Center around the bronze and gold statue of Kamehameha, who unified the Hawaiian Islands under his rule in 1810.

"This is the time for Hawaiians," said Harry Hempstead, a Virginia resident raised in Honolulu. "We need to stand now with each other. No one knows who we are. This is a powerful political moment for us."

Yesterday's ceremony came as Congress prepares to weigh legislation that would create a pro- cess for Native Hawaiian self-governance.

"This is so special for those of us now who worry about the future of the Hawaiian people," said Carla Hotuna, who traveled from Hilo to attend yesterday's event.

"Just to see this statue reminds me that Hawai'i is there. We're still alive and kicking. ... Look at the king."

The 12-foot-tall statue of Kamehameha, unveiled in 1969, now stands under glass skylights.

The dark bronze statue is clad in gilded regalia that Kamehameha would have worn as king, including a feathered helmet and cloak.

The statue weighs more than 6 tons with its solid granite base, according to the architect of the Capitol.

It is one of the heaviest objects in the National Statuary Hall Collection and needed to be put in a spot where the floor could support it.