Introducing Rosa from Easter Island (Toꞌoku aꞌamu e ko ai aꞌ au)

 

Aroha nui korua taꞌatoꞌa toꞌoku iŋoa ko tamariꞌi Rosa Paoa Tuki. https://www.facebook.com/rosa.paoatuki

Greetings… my name is tamariꞌi Rosa Paoa Tuki (CYGM). The above video is a compilations of my teachings and cultural outreach with others in our community. I’m from Rapa Nui, well known as Easter Island. From both sides of my family, Iꞌm a descendant of the first native Polynesian who arrived to the island around the 5th century.

 

 

Polynesians are groups of indigenous who with their navigational talent, by observing the stars and in searching of new homelands, they populated many islands, which are referred to today as the Polynesian Islands. These islands are located in the Polynesian triangle in the South Pacific. Polynesia consists of many islands who share a culture in common, from Hawaii, New Zealand, French Polynesia, Samoa, Tonga, Cook Island and Rapa Nui (Easter Island).

Rapa Nui was first spotted by a Dutch ship on Easter day in 1777 by the captain Jacob Roggeben, and he named the island… Easter Island. Since then, the island suffered from slavery and new diseases brought by the outsiders. By the year 1888, the Rapa Nui indigenous people made a treaty with a young country called Chile for friendship. Ever since then, Rapa Nui became a part of that Chile, but the history wasn’t nice to the indigenous of Rapa Nui. Our Rapa Nui tribal royalty ended and our language was forbidden and many of our people where badly mistreated.

It was only since 1967 that we, the Rapa Nui, were given Chilean citizenship. Learning about our island’s history made me eager to work on my Rapa Nui identity. This learning process began in 1988.

Since our culture and native island spiritual practices were forbidden for so long, the youth & kids nowadays are very sensitive about their Rapa Nui identity.

 

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