Keaunui was a northern Hawaiian chief. He was of the Nanaulu line being lineal descendant of Nanaulu, the brother of Ulu

Ulu

An ulu is an all-purpose knife traditionally used by Eskimo women, both Yupik and Inuit. It is utilized in applications as diverse as skinning and cleaning animals, cutting a child's hair, cutting food and, if necessary, trimming blocks of snow and ice used to build an igloo...

, from whom the southern chiefs claim their descent.

He was one of the three sons of Maweke

Maweke

Maweke was a northern Hawaiian king. He was of the Nanaulu line being lineal descendent of Nanaulu, the brother of Ulu, from whom the southern chiefs claim their descent. The northern chiefs of Oahu, Kauai, and Niihau descent from Maweke and Nanaulu...

 and his wife Naiolaukea. The favored residence and patrimonial estates of the Keaunui family appear to have been in the Ewa, Waianae, and Waialua districts of the same island: Oahu

Oahu

Oahu or Oahu , known as "The Gathering Place", is the third largest of the Hawaiian Islands and most populous of the islands in the U.S. state of Hawaii. The state capital Honolulu is located on the southeast coast...

. On the deeds and exploits of his brother Mulielealii

Mulielealii

Mulielealii was a northern Hawaiian chief and King of Western Oahu. The eldest son of Maweke and brother of Kalehenui and Keaunui. He was of the Nanaulu line being lineal descendant of Nanaulu, the brother of Ulu, from whom the southern chiefs claim their descent. Every monarchs of Oahu after his...

 and Kalehenui

Kalehenui

Kalehenui was a northern Hawaiian chief. The second son of Maweke and brother of Mulielealii and Keaunui. He was of the Nanaulu line being lineal descendant of Nanaulu, the brother of Ulu, from whom the southern chiefs claim their descent....

 personally the legends are silent. But to Keaunui, the head of the powerful and celebrated Ewa chiefs, is attributed the honour of having cut a navigable channel near present Puuloa saltworks, by which the great estuary

Estuary

An estuary is a partly enclosed coastal body of water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea....

, now known as Pearl River, was in all subsequent ages rendered accessible to navigation. Making due allowance for legendary amplification of a known fact, the estuary doubtless had an outlet for its waters where the present gap is; but the legends are probably correct in giving Keaunui the credit of having widened it and deepened it, so as to admit the passage of canoes, and even larger vessels, in and out of the Pearl Harbor

Pearl Harbor

Pearl Harbor, known to Hawaiians as Puuloa, is a lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. Much of the harbor and surrounding lands is a United States Navy deep-water naval base. It is also the headquarters of the U.S. Pacific Fleet...

 as it would eventually called. Among the most noted of Keaunui's children were Laakona

Laakona

Laakona or sometimes incorrectly Lakona of Ewa, a Prince of Oahu, was the District Chieftain or King of Ewa on Oahu. During his days, Oahu was divided among the descendants of Maweke, a legendary blue blood alii from which the Northern royal bloodlines sprouted.Laakona was the grandson of Maweke of...

, the great progenitor of the Ewa chiefs, Nuakea

Nuakea

Nuakea was the Princess of Oahu and Queen consort of Molokai.She was born to Prince Keaunui, Chief of Ewa and his wife Wehelani. Through her father, she was the granddaughter of Maweke, the Blue-blood alii of the ancient line of Nanaulu...

, the wife of the Molokai Keoloewa-a-Kamauaua, and Moi, the prophet and seer of Kaupeenui, the brother of Keoloewa.