Lēʻahi is the most iconic natural land feature in the entire Hawaiian archipelago. Rising above Waikīkī and Kahala, Lēʻahi is rich with multiple layers of history. Known today as Diamond Head, it received this name due to 19th-century sailors mistaking calcite crystals found in the area for diamonds, which led to it being nicknamed Diamond Hill or Kaimana Hila. However, its historical names are Lēʻahi or Laeʻahi. There are two main theories regarding its name and history.

In an article published in the Hawaiian language newspaper Ka Nupepa Kuokoa on September 15, 1877, S.K.K. Hukilani asserts that the correct name for Diamond Hill is Lēahi, not Laeʻahi. The author recounts the moʻolelo of Pihanakalani, a chief from Kauaʻi, who unites with the daughter of Pohukaina (the ruling chief of Oʻahu). Missing the waters of Wailua in Kauaʻi, Pihanakalani asks his partner where he could lele kawa (cliff leap) and bathe. She points toward Lēʻahi and tells him there is water on the hill where he can bathe and jump. The author clarifies that the word “lēahi” can also mean “lēhai” or “lēhei,” referring to leaping from a precipice, a common pastime for the chief Pihanakalani. This article marks the beginning of a debate in Ka Nupepa Kuokoa about the correct name of Lēʻahi.

In an article published in Ka Nupepa Kuokoa on September 22, 1877, in response to S.K.K. Hukilani’s piece, G.W. Kalohai sought to clarify the true name of Laeʻahi. He argues that the name Lēahi is incorrect and was made up by children who would bathe in the waters of the crater. As suggested in the previous article, Lēahi was a regional pronunciation of the term “lēhai,” which means “to leap.” It is possible that the children leaped from the cliffs into the freshwater lake below. According to G.W. Kalohai, the crater and the water within it were named “Kawaikauiluna.” He further states that the name Laeʻahi originates from a moʻolelo about a great fish named ʻAhi that landed at Waikīkī, ultimately forming the land feature we admire today. Kalohai argues that “lae” refers to the fin of the tuna, making it a more appropriate name than Lēahi, as the natural feature resembles a fin.

Lēʻahi’s panoramic view made it a strategic military site, leading to its purchase by the federal government in 1904. By 1908, the U.S. Army Coastal Artillery defense system began constructing military infrastructure, including the historic summit trail, which connected Fort Ruger to the west slope through the Kapahulu tunnel.

Today, Lēʻahi stands as a state park, visited by both locals and tourists. However, its deep cultural significance is often overshadowed by Hollywood imagery and its military past. The Wahi Pana project seeks to restore and elevate an Indigenous understanding of this storied peak, reconnecting Oʻahu’s people to its moʻolelo, landscapes, and ancestral knowledge.