Testimony from the Past by Josefina Arriagada
Ana María Arredondo’s history on Rapa Nui spans almost five decades, a period marked by her deep love for the island, its people and culture, her dedication to teaching and research, and her immersion in Rapa Nui daily life. Her story is a weaving of her personal and professional life, her commitment to the community and her constant search for knowledge and transmission. She has written numerous books and publications on Rapa Nui culture, in addition to working as a teacher and Director of the high school Liceo Aldea Educativa Hoŋa’a o Te Mana.
The encounter with the island
Ana María, originally from Viña del Mar, Chile, arrived on Rapa Nui for the first time in 1976. The island, at that time, was a place with a social dynamic and landscape very different from today’s, with a little more than a thousand inhabitants. This intimate atmosphere and natural beauty captivated Ana Maria, who forged friendships that prompted her to return the following summer, meeting Bene, Benedicto Tuki Pate, a sculptor, fisherman and diver, an encounter that would transform their lives forever. The connection between the two was magical, a love that rooted her to the island.
Forging her own path: Teaching, art and research
Although her initial dream was archaeology, she eventually studied history. However, Rapa Nui gave her the opportunity to connect with her passion for archaeology, allowing her to discover the historical and cultural richness that emanated from every stone. Her professional path was not linear, facing obstacles that tested her determination. She created a kindergarten with her friend Asunta Tuki, a project that lasted a few years because the Institute of Studies of Ester Island of the University of Chile, offered her to make a bibliographic order. Occasionally she participated in archaeological prospecting and the transfer of field cards. In 1984, she participated in the first Congress of Anthropology and Archaeology of Easter Island and the Pacific, an instance that stands out for its openness to the community, including the participation of many young people, which differentiated it from other academic events. Her first research on the Rapa Nui culture was in 1985, published in the First Days of Art and Archaeology of the Museum of Pre-Columbian Art, “Rapa nui Pectoral ornament represented in the petroglyphs”. Subsequently publishing several researches in scientific journals and books on the rescue of intangible heritage, many of them dedicated to children and young people. In this way, research and teaching have been her vocation.
Legacy and commitment to Rapa Nui culture
Ana Maria recognizes the importance of preserving Rapa Nui culture, especially in an increasingly globalized world. Her commitment to the island extends beyond academia. She believes that the transmission of culture is not limited to information, but involves the transmission of values and the strengthening of the Rapa Nui identity in the new generations. Since her arrival on the island, Ana Maria felt at home. She never experienced the need to “get used to” Rapa Nui, feeling a deep connection with the energy of the place and its people. As an art lover, she was always by Bene’s side, participating in his sculptural creations, exhibitions and travels around the world.
Building a family
Ana María built a family life with Bene and her daughters Paula and Vai Iti. She describes her first years on the island as a great life experience and says: “Life on the island, in the beginning, was very different from the way of life on the mainland. You cooked with kerosene and sometimes we made fire. We didn’t have a washing machine, so we washed clothes in a drum where we would foot tap if they were very dirty. Bene plowed in front of the house and we planted everything we needed to live. Bene was a good diver, so there was never a shortage of fish. The most wonderful thing has been my daughters, always by my side and now my grandchildren, Nicolás, Agustín, Vicente, my granddaughter Mikaela and my great-grandson Andrés”.
Bene’s Death
Bene’s cancer diagnosis in 2021 plunged the family into a period of deep sadness. Despite the seriousness of the disease, Ana María highlights Bene’s strength and good spirits, who took advantage of the time to reconcile with his life and his legacy. During his treatment on the continent, they received unconditional support from friends and family, who offered them comfort and companionship in those difficult moments “but above all, a lot of love”. After Bene’s death, Ana María respected his last wish: to be buried in his land: “There he is, very present in our daily life. His presence is felt and accompanies us ”.
The Legacy Continues
Before Bene died, Ana María tells us: “we created a Foundation, together with my daughters, to continue what we had already done in the nineties, an Art and Culture Center, with an Art Gallery-workshop, a publishing house, a Research Center and most importantly a Museum with all the sculptures of traditional art, which Bene bequeathed in life to the future generations of Rapa Nui”.
Dreams come true
Ana María tells us that many have been her dreams and some of them remained in time and came true like her trip to the East: “First my trip to India, a dream that was born when I was a girl looking at some of my father’s books about various places in the world. I promised myself that when I turned 60 I would retire to start making these dreams come true, so I began my trip to India, Nepal and Tibet. ” A month-long trip that represented the culmination of a personal dream, an inner search that led her to explore new cultures and connect with her own spirituality. After this trip she tells us “we traveled with Bene through Southeast Asia and this was revealing for both of us, seeing so many similarities with the Rapa Nui culture and thinking that in a very distant time the migratory movements towards the Pacific came from there, arriving in Rapa Nui.”
Ana María Arredondo’s story in Rapa Nui is a testimony of love, resilience and commitment. Her life, intertwined with the history of the island, reflects her passion for teaching and research, and her deep respect for Rapa Nui culture. Through her story, we were able to learn about the importance of the transmission of knowledge, the preservation of traditions and the constant search for personal growth.
