Ahu A ʻUmi Heiau means "shrine at the temple of ʻUmi" in the Hawaiian Language.It is also spelled "ahu-a-Umi", or known as Ahua A ʻUmi Heiau, which would mean "mound of ʻUmi".It was built for ʻUmi-a-Liloa, often called ʻUmi, who ruled the island of Hawaiʻi early in the 16th century. He moved the seat of government here from the Waipiʻo Valley.The seat of power generally remained in the Kona District until the plantation days hundreds of years later.Ahu A ʻUmi Heiau was also the place where the great chief (the son ofʻUmi) hid to escape death from a strong aliʻi, Kalepuni, who attempted totake over Keawe's rule.The site was an enclosure surrounded by a number of stone cairns, up to four meters high and seven meters in diameter.