The month of May is Asian American Pacific IslanderHeritage Month, celebrating the community’s contributions to the cultural, social, and political fabric of this country. It is the perfect time to read my book EASTER ISLAND: Giant Stone Statues Tell of a Richand Tragic Past (Clarion Books, 2000.)
You can find it as an ebook, EASTER ISLAND: Giant Stone Statues Tell of a Rich and Tragic Past is available as an ebook on Amazon. You can also look for it in your library.
Easter Island is the most remote inhabited place on Earth. It is located in the easternmost corner of the large triangle of Pacific Islands known as Polynesia. The first European visitor to Easter Island was a Dutch sea captain, Jacob Roggeveen, who landed there on April 5, 1722. In the tradition of his time he named his “discovery” for the day of his arrival which was Easter Sunday. Today the island is known both as Easter Island (Isla de Pascua in Spanish) and Rapa Nui, a Polynesian name given to it in the 19th century by Tahitian sailors. Both the people and the traditional Easter Island language are known today as Rapanui.
As we look at Easter Island today we see examples of humankind’s most amazing artistic achievements. We also see records of some of its darkest moments. Much remains to be learned about its earliest inhabitants who came to the island in about A.D. 400. We know that they were farmers and fishermen, and that as they shaped the land to fit their needs they gradually used up many of the island’s limited resources. In many ways Easter Island is a model for the world we live in today and is a reminder that natural resources must be used wisely.
Easter Island is the most remote inhabited place on Earth. It is located in the easternmost corner of the large triangle of Pacific Islands known as Polynesia. The first European visitor to Easter Island was a Dutch sea captain, Jacob Roggeveen, who landed there on April 5, 1722. In the tradition of his time he named his “discovery” for the day of his arrival which was Easter Sunday. Today the island is known both as Easter Island (Isla de Pascua in Spanish) and Rapa Nui, a Polynesian name given to it in the 19th century by Tahitian sailors. Both the people and the traditional Easter Island language are known today as Rapanui.
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| The scale of the Easter Island statues is enormous. |
As we look at Easter Island today we see examples of humankind’s most amazing artistic achievements. We also see records of some of its darkest moments. Much remains to be learned about its earliest inhabitants who came to the island in about A.D. 400. We know that they were farmers and fishermen, and that as they shaped the land to fit their needs they gradually used up many of the island’s limited resources. In many ways Easter Island is a model for the world we live in today and is a reminder that natural resources must be used wisely.
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| Giant statues called moai were placed on platforms called ahu. |
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