Settlement and Moai Construction
Some 1.500 years ago, a polynesian migration led by
the Ariki (king) Hotu Matu'a, arrived at our island, giving birth
to one of the most fascinating cultures know all over the world. During
the early time, the polynesian sttlers dedicated most of their effort
to the quest for water, scarble on a island with no rivers. After
the first few century of colonization a need grew among the new community
to honor its most illustrious ancestors. So it is that the moai was
born, distinctive and unique to Rapa Nui culture. As time went by,
statues construction became the main labour and economy activity all
over the island, depriving of labour force even important activities
such as agriculture and fishing. Anyway, at this point in history
(approximately 10 century AD) the island inhabitants had managed to
adapt themselves to this difficult environment. The status of peace
brought by the mass participation to this monumental work made an
increase of population possible up to about 10 thousands inhabitants,
according to anthropological studies. |
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Hoa Haka Nana |
Toki
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Matá |
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Manavai: |
Tablilla "rongo rongo" |
Hare Moa
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Hare Paenga |
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End of the Moai Culture and Birdman Cult
The next historical stage on the island (XVII and
XVIII centuries AD approx.) was mark by many and unending fightings
beetween the main tribes these, called tribal wars, brought as a result,
to the end of the first culture : the Moai Culture. The wars gave
way to a new political and religious administration on the island,
and, with the knocking down of all the moai, the cult to man remained
in the past. The new time was marked by a return to the oldest polynesian
tradition : the bird cult. The religious leaders of the island settled
on the southern promontory of the volcano Rano Kau, building the ceremonial
village of Orongo. Every year they waited for the arrival of migratory
birds, which, according to oral tradition, were sent by the same God
Make Make to celebrate the begining of a new season, as, in the past,
only two season existed : Oora y Tonga (summer and winter). The birdman
ceremony consisted of a competition, that had as a goal the capture
of the first laid egg of the bird Manutara (sooty tern) each tribe
had a man as a representative (Hopu Manu), and these men were trained
around the volcano Rano Kau for the competition which consisted in
swimming and climbing. With the arrival of the first migratory birds
to the islets, in springtime, the competition got started. The Hopu
Manu (the competitors) celebrated a ritual barbecue, called Umu Tahu,
they painted their bodies with Kiea (a natural colour soil, found
along the cliffs) and afterwards they proceded to climb down the cliff
from Orongo village, situated at about 300 meters from sea level.
They had to swim to the largest of the islets, Motu Nui, some 2 Km.
distant. The Hopu manu waited inside some caves until the birds nested
on the islet. Once the birds laid their eggs, one was captured and
the man had to shout toward Orongo that he had the egg. They had to
swim back, climb back up to Orongo and Hopu Manu who gave first his
egg to his Ariki (Chief) made him Birdman (Tangata Manu), religious
and political leader of the island during one year. This system stopped
the big tribal wars leaving a relative peace in Rapa Nui. During this
time the first european visitors arrived to the island and this was
coincidential with the election of the last Tangata Manu.
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Expeditions from the West
In 1722 the truely historical phase started (with
written records) the dutch Captain Jacob Roggeveen discovery made
the island known all over the world. During the XVIII century the
island is visited by three more expeditions, one of the famous english
Captain James Cook, one a spanish expedition led by Gonzalez y Aedo
and one of the french sailor Jean Francois de Galaup, Count of La
Perouse. These expeditions were motivated by a scientific interest.
During the XIX century the darkest page of Rapa Nui history Started.
The island was in a copletely decadent condition, as the first european
sailors of the XVIII century claimed. The civil wars had deteriorated
all the ancient culture. During this period and under these conditions
the island is invaded by slave traders expeditions that, throughout
the century, have as a result the abduction of about four thousand
islanders to be used as slaves in the fertilizer mines of what was
the south of Peru, nowadays the north of Chile. During this period,
the early catholic missionaries arrived to the island and found opened
hospitality from a man, whose name was Dutroux Bornier, who had in
mind to became the owner of all the island. The arrival of people
from the western culture, together with the large influence of the
catholic religion, and not to be forgotten the abduction of an important
number of people, all these factors almost extinguished the ancient
culture of Rapa Nui, that lost its hiroglyphic writing system Rongo
Rongo. In 1866 there was the last Tangata Manu election, having been
witnessed by brother Eugene Eyraud and father Gaspar, as special guests.
This event marked the end of what can be called Rapa Nui traditional
culture. From this moment on, with the arrival of the early western
settlers, the island culture gets a dramatic twist, that converted
this people of polynesian oceanic tradition into a people of cattle
and sheep raisers and farmers.
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Modern History
From Sailors to Farmers
During the last decades of the XIX century and the
early ones of the XX century, the sheep farming was consolidated in
Rapa Nui. The island was rented by a sheep farming company, by heritage
rights fromDutroux Bornier. In 1888 Rapa Nui became part of the Chilean
Territory, having been given soverignity, but not private property,
through a document beetween the Ariki Atamu Tekena and the chilean
government representative, Captain Policarpo Toro. During the first
half of the XX century, the islanders are confined within Hanga Roa
village area, with prohibition to leave the village. In 1917 the island
is declared maritime territory and passed under the administration
dependence of Valparaiso province. In 1935 it was declared national
park and historical monument. Two years later all the island land
became government land. In 1953 the contract with the SEDIP (Easter
Island Development society) was revoked and the navy autorities took
over control over the island and its inhabitants, about a thousand
at the time, without any real change in social conditions. In 1955
a norwigian scientific expedition arrived, led by Thor Heyerdahl,
the famous Kontiki, who, for the first time gave real fame to the
first aspects of Rapa Nui culture. In 1965, thanks to the public protest
of Rapa Nui people about their rights on their own island, it was
nominated as an administrative district of Valparaiso province, opening
the first minicipal government and revoking for good the forced settling
in a place for the islanders. During this same year Mataveri airport
was constructed and in 1967 regular commercial Lanchile flight started
and a Nasa station was installed to track down the satellites orbits,
later closed down in 1971. In 1986 the air strip was repaired and
extended, to be used for the space shuttle discovery in case of emergency,
due to an agreament beetween the chilean and the american governments.
Thanks to this, the island has one of the longest and safest air strip
in the world, with specialized personnel in top aeronautics technology.
At the end of the 60s the first tourism and travel agency was opened
on the island : "Lindbland Explorer" so starting the tourism activity
in Rapa Nui.
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