News and Notes
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Rapa Nui Journal: Journal of the Easter Island Foundation Volume 14 Article 6 Issue 4 December 2000 News and Notes Follow this and additional works at: https://kahualike.manoa.hawaii.edu/rnj Part of the History of the Pacific slI ands Commons, and the Pacific slI ands Languages and Societies Commons Recommended Citation (2000) "News and Notes," Rapa Nui Journal: Journal of the Easter Island Foundation: Vol. 14 : Iss. 4 , Article 6. Available at: https://kahualike.manoa.hawaii.edu/rnj/vol14/iss4/6 This Commentary or Dialogue is brought to you for free and open access by the University of Hawai`i Press at Kahualike. It has been accepted for inclusion in Rapa Nui Journal: Journal of the Easter Island Foundation by an authorized editor of Kahualike. For more information, please contact [email protected]. et al.: News and Notes THE GRANDEST MOAI SIGHTING' of all comes from our British correspondent, Paul Bahn, who tells us that the Great Court at WE HAVE A RASH OF the British Museum has a new glass roof, the storage areas of MOAI sightings to report. the old British Library are cleared out, and the wonderful huge th th These range from small 18 century inner court is restored. The 19 century circular to large and from the reading room is in the middle. Some dozen sculptures are on weird to the improbable. show in the court, including Hoa Hakananaia, the famed basalt Two back-to-back were statue taken from the island in 1868 (see page 109, this issue). moai found in a nursery The statue sits on a high plinth allowing one to walk around it. in Ontario, Canada, by The carvings on the back are barely visible due to lack of light Marilyn Garrett Stearns. ing but this problem likely will be rectified. The Queen will Is this a garden orna officially open the restored museum on 6 December 2000. ment? Book ends? Clearly, some sort of What'$ Ne~ in the 'PaGifiG mystery object. A MEETING AT THE UNIVERSITY OF THE SOUTH PACIFIC in August discussed the problems ofsustainable fisheries and ma DAVID FOULKES OF GREAT BRlT , rine conservation. Throughout the Pacific, as well as in the rest AIN sent us a photograph ofa very of the world, the populations of fish are declining, along with sour looking moai from Chester the number of coral reefs. It was pointed out that indigenous Zoo, UK, located in a feature Pacific Island communities have a wealth of knowledge about called "Lost Islands". Inside the their own coastal resources, but lack access to recent biological building (behind the statue) there fmdings, which cOlild assist them to improve local manage is nothing related to Rapa Nui but, ment. Over-fishing is a key threat and the reason most fre as David notes, " ...this is the only quently cited for harvest decline. The Pacific is in a global ma way I will ever be in the Journal, rine crisis, showing signs of collapse due to increasing fisher [so] I am hoping it will be printed. ies, over-exploitation and habitat degradation. Looking forward to the next issue; The University ofthe South Pacific Bulletin, 33(26), 2000. keep up the excellent work" Gee, David, how can we ignore that A RECENT LECTURE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF THE SOUTH PA plea? CIFIC by Tania Rangiheuea, lecturer in Maori Studies (Victoria University of Wellington), highlighted many of the problems facing the Maori people of New Zealand. Low income, unem THE MOST EPHEMERAL of the ployment, and marginalization of the Maori community in the moai entries comes from Stillwa areas ofhealth and education were cited. ter, Minnesota, where Charlie On the positive side, many Maori are getting organized Tolman discovered a statue in the politically, and hope to set up their own radio and television front yard of a friend. This moai station, and to encourage indigenous language use. Today only snowman prompted some philo 15% ofthe population are fluent Maori speakers. sophical questions: "Why do they The University ofthe South Pacific Bulletin, 33(32). 2000. always face the swamp? Where do they go every spring? What do CHRlSTMAS ISLAND. Britain will begin the clean up ofradiation the Chevrolet-orange eyes sig- contaminated areas on Christmas Island, Republic of Kiribati. ! nify? Why do their dimensions The island is contaminated by fallout from six 1958 British match those of 33 gallon trash atomic and hydrogen bomb tests. While the UK has accepted containers? And, why do local some responsibility for the environmental clean up, it refused domestic animals make territorial liability for health impacts on people. claims on them?" Pacific News Bulletin, No. 15(10),2000 MORE MOAI ARE APPEARING IN ADS and as logos for compa nies, including a view of four moai on clothing tags for Ari TuVALU, A MEMBER OF THE PACIFIC ISLANDS FORUM, became th zona Jean Company's "Vintage Seersucker" shirts. A full page the 189 member of the United Nations in September. It is a advertisement from the Wall Street Journal features a trade full member ofthe Commonwealth.1:bnga, Kiribati and Nauru marked moai design and the name ofthe finn uses "moar. Can joined the UN in 1999. our beloved statues be copyrighted? A beauty salon called Pacific News Bulletin, No. 15(10),2000 Headhunters (in California) has images of moai all over their advertisements. Rapa Nui Journal 119 Vol. 14 (4) December2000 Published by Kahualike, 2000 1 Rapa Nui Journal: Journal of the Easter Island Foundation, Vol. 14 [2000], Iss. 4, Art. 6 Viiia del Mar, Chile What'& New in ttangaroa THE DIRECTORS OF THE FONCK MUSEUM (Museo Sociedad de A NEW PUBLICATION titled Nuestros Pueblos was initiated in Arqueologia e Historia Natural) in Vifla del Mar, announced Chile on 21 September. This indigenous newspaper is publi~hed that they are having financial difficulties, and are unable to find in Valparaiso, in Spanish, Rapanui, Aymara and Mapudungful. the US $875 needed each month to properly maintain their col It's purpose is to infonn indigenous peoples ofChile about gov lections. The Museum collection includes, besides numerous ernment benefits. It is a small tabloid, about 8-12 pages, free of artifacts from Easter Island, insects, mammals, ornamental charge, and edited by Conadi, (Corporation National of Indige pieces, and collections from various indigenous groups in nous Development). The monthly circulation is expected to be - Chile. Maintenance includes climate control: humidity, ventila 20,000 copies, and it will first be distributed in zones where tion, and illumination. The funding situation will oblige the mu there are indigenous populations. Fifteen hundred copies are to seum to seek private assistance since the municipal subsidy is be sent to the Rapanui. Conadi estimates (according to the 1992 only enough to pay the salaries of the staff, according to mu census) that the current indigenous population of Chile is 1.3 seum administrator, Gennan SangUesa. Money collected at the million, less than 10% of the national total. The distribution: door for entrance fees covers only half the expenses. Never be Mapuche (81.39%), Aymara (14.15%), Atacamefio (1.57%), fore has the Fonck had to resort to fund raising. The campaign Rapanui (1.22%), Coya (0.86%), Quechua (0.54%), Yagane will begin in January'. (0.15%) and Kawashkare (0.02%). The Fonck Museum holds perhaps the finest collection of El Mercurio de Valparaiso. 26 October, 2000 Rapa Nui artifacts in Chile, arguably better than the collection in the Padre Sebastian Englert Museum on Easter Island. It also MAYOR PETERO EDMUNDS made the front page ofEI Mercurio houses the Biblioteca Rapanui which has replaced the Mulloy de Valparaiso with a headline quote, "We Want the Island to Library, the latter now being installed on Easter Island. Readers Pass into the Hands ofthe Islanders". The article states that Ed of the Rapa Nui Journal who wish to make donations to help munds wishes to have autonomy, and he declares the rights of out this fme but struggling museum, may send donations to the the islanders over the land, and the administration of that land. Easter Island Foundation by check or VisalMasterCard with a Edmunds stated, "I don't want another flag nor to be another covering note specifying that the donation is for the Fonck Mu country, but to have recourse to decide over these matters". seum. Remember: a modest donation to the Fonck does a world Later he said that he had invited President Lagos to come to the more good than a sizeable donation to a large American mu island on the "Day of the Chilenos" and was angry because he seum. Your help will be sincerely appreciated. got no reply, and when he telephoned the Intendenta of the V Region, Josefma Bilbao, "...they couldn't locate her." The arti THE CHILEAN AIR FORCE will hold ceremonies on Easter island, cle describes the " ...neglect of President Lagos and the de Quintero and La Serena, Chile, to honor the 50th anniversary of jected islanders." the historic flight of the Manutara, the Catalina 405 Seaplane The next day, in the same paper, a reply was featured: that made the first flight to Easter Island in 1951. The flight "Strong Response to Words of the Island Mayor". In this arti lasted 20 hours and 4 minutes and was piloted by Roberto Par cle, the Intendenta called the position of Petero Edmunds rague Singer. "infantile", saying the mayor went beyond the limit in his decla El Mercurio de Valparaiso. November 30,2000 rations, and suggested that there were "electoral reasons" [Chile th had its regional elections on Oct 29 .] She added that the island Juan Fernandez Islands has always had the wish for autonomy, and she stated that, from a certain point of view, one could understand why.