Te Mana o Te Vahine me Te Tane There is a feminine form, just as there is a masculine form. The first serves to nurture and to give birth; the other to plant and to guard. With both of them, the tribe and the families of all nations survive, in
Testimony from the Past The current Governor of Isla de Pascua is the granddaughter of Rafael Cardinali, an Italian who arrived to the Island during the First World War looking for opportunities and founded the Cardinali clan, a name that is today considered Rapanui. Carmen Cardinali, school teacher and businesswoman
Ara o te, the moai road Halfway up the side of the Rano Raraku volcano and buried up to their chests, more than a hundred giant statues (Moai) never reached the sanctuary (Ahu) for which they were destined. Carved out of the quarry, they were lowered by ropes to an
The Toromiro, a sacred tree planted around ceremonial centres and used to carve the Moai Kava Kava, was declared extinct more than 50 years ago. The last wild specimen was seen in the crater at Rano Kau during Thor Heyerdahl’s expedition in 1956. Many attempts to recover this endemic species
María Haoa Ive had a very sad life. My mother, Estela Haoa, abandoned me when I was born. She was only 17 when she got pregnant. I was raised by grandparents, Adela Haoa and Isaias Fati, whom I always considered as my true parents. My biological father never recognized me
Vaitea Vaitea is the name given to the area in the center of the Island where there is abundant water coming from the Rano Aroi volcano. Each trip by road to Anakena Beach crosses through the forests of Vaitea, mostly eucalyptus trees, where Islanders will stop to collect wood for
Each newborn receives his Mauri, Varua, Ha y Hau When Te Uru Tai flows from the womb of a fertile woman and joins Te Wai Tai, the seed of a man, a child begins to grow and form his Mauri, his physical appearance – the shape of his head, nose,
Testimony from the Past The daughter of Lucas Tuki-Schmidt and Ana Teao-Manuheuroroa was born on June 21, 1928. She is the youngest of 11 siblings, all of whom are now dead. Many people considered Analola one of the most beautiful women of Rapa Nui. The Years with Thor Heyerdahl and
American satellites tracked in Rapa Nui It was the year 1966. A US Air Force base with 120 men under the command of Colonel John Ashley was installed on Rapa Nui with the name of Ionosphere Research Center ITT, which was authorized by the then Chilean president, Eduardo Frei-Montalva as
The rock paintings from Orongo are one of the most singular archaeological finds in Rapa Nui. During their visit to the stone houses at Orongo in 1882 — where the Bird-Man cult used to be performed — German Commander Geisler and his purser Weisser found wall coverings inside the rooms:
Caress and Cultivate the Child of Peace No one knows if Today will be followed by Tomorrow. No one is sure if the Seed that we sow will prosper. No one is certain that Life will continue. Everything is a Gift. We are all creatures of Tane Mahuta, the
María Ignacia Paoa Rangitopa María Ignacia is the daughter of María Carmela Languitopa and Alberto Paoa-Bornier, a grandson of the French settler Dutroux-Bornier, who took over the lands of the Easter Islanders and proclaimed himself “King of Easter Island”, prior to the Chilean annexation. Everyone knows her by her nickname
