Kalanikauleleiaiwi was a High Chiefess (aliûi nui) of the island of Hawaiûi. She was considered to be the co-ruler of the island of Hawaiûi with her half-brother, Keaweûëkekahialiûiokamoku, the 21st Aliûi nui of Hawaii. Their shared mother was Keakealaniwahine, the previous Aliûi Nui of Hawaii. Their son, Keûeaumoku Nui, was considered the highest rank of Piûo and the rightful successor in rank to his father and mother, in contrast to his half-brother Alapaûi, who usurped the throne of Hawaiûi.
Kalanikauleleiaiwi was considered to have higher rank than her half-brother and co-ruler, owing to her paternal descent from the Oûahu dynasty of KÃÂkuhihewa. Her father was their mother's half-brother KÃÂneikaiwilani, who was the son of Iwikauikaua and KauÃÂkahikuaûanaûauakÃÂne of Oûahu. Both her parents shared the High Chief Iwikauikaua of Oûahu as their father. (whose symbol was a torch burned at midday, later copied by his descendant KalÃÂkaua.)
Her family background has been compared to that of Keà Âpà «olani, with the political power and influence of Kaûahumanu. She had four husbands and through her descendants was the great-grandmother of Kamehameha I who founded the Kingdom of Hawaiûi.
Kalanikauleleiaiwi had four husbands and had children by all of them.
Her first marriage was with Kaulahea II, the king of Maui, in her early youth. For unknown reasons, she left him and returned to the island of Hawaiûi. Their daughter was Kekà «Ã»iapoiwa. Kekà «Ã»iapoiwa remained on Maui and married her half-brother Kekaulike, founding the Kekaulike Dynasty of Maui which produced many chief politicians and nobles in the early days of the Kingdom of Hawaiûi.
On returning to the land of her mother, she married her half-brother, Keaweûikekahialiûiokamoku to whom she bore a son Keûeaumoku Nui and a daughter Kekelaokalani I.
Her third husband was Kauaua-a-Mahi, son of Mahiolole, the great Kohala chief of the Mahi family. With him she had two sons, Alapaûinui and HÃÂûae-a-Mahi.
Her fourth and last husband was the High Chief Lonoikahaupu, one of the highest ranking chiefs of Kauaûi and a fifth generation descendant of KahakumakapÃÂweo. With him she had her last children, Keawepoepoe and Kanoena, who were the parents of Kameûeiamoku and Kamanawa; another son of Keawepoepoe (with a different mother) was Keûeaumoku PÃÂpaûiahiahi. These three, together with Keawe-a-Heulu, were the four principal chiefs that assisted Kamehameha I to conquer and consolidate the Hawaiian Islands, and who became his counsellors after the conquest.
Her descendants are among the forefathers of several Hawaiian royal houses: