For centuries a strict set of rules (kapu) were enforced at the heiau. It was a closed heiau reserved exclusively for the Alii Nui (the highest chiefs) for praying and offering human sacrifices, primarily to the war god Kū. In Kohala Mookini Heiau was the focus of religious life and order. In November 1978 Kahuna Nui Leimomi Mookini Lum rededicated the Mookini Luakini to the "Children of the Land" ("kama aina") and lifted the restrictive kapu. In doing this she made the site safe for all persons to enter the heiau and created a place of learning for future generations to discover the past. Her family has been taking care of the temple for centuries.