Rapa Nui

   The first people to reach Rapa Nui came from Polynesia some time between 600 and 900 AD.  They had to travel over 2000 miles in a small boat bringing everything they needed to start a new society on this uninhabited island - animals, plants, enough people to start a new population, together with the knowledge and cultural beliefs to enable the community to thrive.  When they arrived the island was a Polynesian paradise, up to 70% of the land was covered with palm trees and edible plants and there was an abundance of sea birds and fish.  

  Most people think that the Rapanui chopped down all the trees on the island in order to transport the Moai from the quarry to their resting places and in doing so wiped themselves and the trees out.  However we learnt that when the first inhabitants came to the island they bought Pacific rats with them on the boat.  These rats had no predators and food was plentiful so they multiplied over and over again.  The rats loved eating the nuts of the palm trees which were plentiful.  They gnawed through the palm tree nuts to the extent that they couldn't germinate, preventing the trees from successfully reproducing.  The Rapanui also chopped down trees to make room for crops, to use as fire wood and later on for statue transportation too.  Betwen all of these factors damage to the islands tree population and ecosystem may have now been done.

  The original houses on Rapa Nui Island were called hare paenga.  They had foundation stones around the bottom, with carved holes on top.  Branches were placed into the holes, tied together at the centre and longer branches were then placed on top creating a sturdy wooden frame.  Then the Rapanui placed dried leaves, reeds and grass over the frame and left a small opening at each end of the hut for light and ventillation with a door in the middle.   Because the houses looked like upside down canoes they are often called "boat houses".  All over the island there were small oval huts made of stone called hare moa. There are no windows or doors in them.  They were chicken houses and they had no visible openings to stop chicken thieves from other villages.  At night a farmer would put his chickens in the coop through a small hole and then put a stone in the hole so that chicken thieves couldn't find the door and therefore keep the chickens safe.  

  In 1722 on Easter Sunday a Dutch explorer looking for Terra Australis found Rapa Nui, from then on it was known as Easter Island.  They anchored off the island for a week and then moved on.  Almost 50 years a Spanish expedition arrived from Peru and claimed the land.  After 6 days on the island the Spanish left and never came back to follow up their claim of Easter Island.  In the 1850's Peru had abolished slavery and was in need of cheap labor.  In a series of raids on the island, up to 1500 Rapanui were forcibly removed by Peruvian entrepreneurs, including many of the chiefs and wise men.  Many of the islanders died on the journey to Peru and only 15 were ever returned to Rapa Nui.  In 1883 Chile had defeated Peru and Bolivia in the War of the Pacific and wanted to expand their empire.  They saw the potential of the waters surrounding Easter Island and in 1888 a deed was presented to the islands king giving Chile "full and entire sovereignty" over Easter Island.  The  document was in Spanish and the Rapanui translation only offered "protection and friendship" to the island from Chile.  

Easter Island is still  part of Chile however today the governing is all done by the Rapanui. Chile helps pay for schooling, hospitals, power and water supply, paved roads and fuel.  Only Rapanui can own land on Easter Island.  There  are about 5500 people living on the island, the official language is Spanish although the Rapanui speak their native tongue Rapa Nui which is a Polynesian language.  Easter Island was formed by volcanoes coming out of the ocean.  Two of them now have underground fresh water in them which is the islands fresh water supply.  The capital of Rapa Nui is Hanga Roa, it is a small town with little shops, restaurants and markets. Easter Island was an amazing place to visit.  It was so relaxing and quiet and the beach was beautiful with its coconut palms, lovely warm water and pinkish coloured sand.  We swam there for hours.    We had loads of fun driving around in our little Suzuki Jimny and saw heaps of Moai which were incredible.  I'd love to come back to Rapa Nui one day.  Hannah.