Puu Kekaa is the most prominent natural feature at Kaanapali. Formed by an old lava flow that entered the sea, this work of the volcano goddess Pele creates a little cove, with beaches on either side that attracts abundant marine life. It was very sacred to ancient Hawaiians as a leina a ka’uhane where souls depart or leap over into the spirit world at death.
    Kekaa was the birthplace of Kaululaau, the wayward son of Kakaalaneo, who was exiled to Lana’i for cutting down an orchard of breadfruit trees. On Lana’i he fought and overcame all the ghosts that made that island uninhabitable and, for this deed was welcomed home a hero.
    A heiau was situated on top of the sacred puu, where the Sheraton-Maui Resort now stands,

and Kekaa, an old farming and fishing village, was located near the beach between the royal Lahaina Hotel and the Maui Eldorado Condominiums.
    Maui the demi-god is said to have begun many of his legendary exploits because the close proximity to the departing place for the dead was considered advantageous to the warriors who would lose their lives while fighting.
    Kahekili, known as the « thunderer », was the last great Maui chief. He ruled the island for 27 years, beginning in 1766, and, through warfare and marriage, expanded his domain to include all the Hawaiian Islands except Kaua’i and Hawaii. Three times during his reign Kahekili threw off invasions of East Maui instigated by big island chief, Kalaniopuu. Later Kahekili’s armies fought in decisive battles against Kamehameha the Great. Once, when Kamehameha sent a mssenger to Kahekili to negociate wether or not they should have another war, Kahekili sent back a reply to the young Hawaii chief to wait until the aged Maui chief was dead and burial rites performed before coming against Maui in war again. This is just what Kamehameha did.
    In his prime, Kahekili was honored for his ability as an athlete of lele kawa
(to leap feet first from high sea cliffs into the ocean). There are places on Oahu and Lana’i known as Kahekili’s leap. However, Puu Kekaa is where the Maui chief made his most impressive jumps. Only someone with tremendous mana could jump and return unharmed from where the souls of the dead leapt over into the other world. According to tradition, Kahekili did this many times at Puu Kekaa.

extraits de "Ancient Sites of Maui..."Archeological Places of Interest in the Hawaiian Islands"-Author: Van James