Easter Island Foundation News

Much has transpired since the publication of Volume 32 of the Rapa Nui Journal in late 2019. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, regular commercial flights to and from Rapa Nui were suspended for over two years. The island reopened to visitors in August 2022. In the meantime, life on the island was quiet, with islanders existing as they did in the days before tourism became the main economic focus. Flights with supplies were infrequent, and self-sufficiency, fishing, farming and sharing had become the norm.

The Easter Island Foundation is pleased to announce that we have a new Treasurer, Rachel Lee, after the retirement of Mike Chamberlain, who served in the position from 2011 to 2021. Rachel is the granddaughter of founding member Georgia Lee and she wishes to continue her grandmother’s legacy in supporting the Rapanui people in their vision for the future. We are also happy to welcome four new EIF board members: Julie Francis, Suzanne Long, Pat Weikle, and Elana Yonah Rosen. More information about our board of directors can be found on islandheritage.org.

Between 2020 and 2022, the Easter Island Foundation awarded three rounds of scholarships to 28 individual students of Rapanui ancestry (13 awards in 2020, 20 awards in 2021, and 15 awards in 2022). In spite of COVID-19, EIF continued to receive donations from many individuals, as well as the Fraternal Order of Moai Foundation and the Wold Family Foundation. In 2020, with the cancellation of in-person events, the FOM held two virtual fundraisers that raised a record amount of funds for the Easter Island Foundation. The Wold Family Foundation also generously supported the EIF during this time. We express our gratitude to both of these organizations for their continued support of EIF’s educational programs. Scholarship students shared some of the difficulties they faced during these uncertain times, including not being able to visit their families on the island, cancellation of classes and having to study remotely. Despite these challenges, the students were resilient and continued to work hard toward their educational goals. Several students have graduated, and we wish them the best in their future pursuits. Information about each student who received a scholarship between 2020 and 2022 is included below, along with their educational goals.

Enerike Ngaara Te Manu Carrasco Hotus, Cross Ridge Foundation Award (2022), Archaeology, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. Enerike is interested in Rapanui culture: history, fishing, music, agriculture, and traditions. This learning path led to his decision to study archaeology. After completing his undergraduate classes, he plans to return to the island and work in the field of research and preservation of Rapanui culture.

Hine Ma’ara Haoa Rapu, Sheree Lipton/Ananda Foundation Award (2022), Law, Universidad de Desarollo, Chile. Hine’s courses have expanded her skills and knowledge, and have given her a sense of responsibility for the Rapanui people and for the cultural, social, and legal protection of the island. She feels that the study of law will give her the necessary tools to protect the rights of the her people, prevent abuses and provide solutions to various problems on the island.

Tenive Raimundo Huki Piaggio, Wade Fisher Memorial Award (2022), Kinesiology, Universidad Santo Tomas, Chile. Tenive wants to specialize in kinesiology to help people in the Rapanui community through rehabilitation for those who have difficulties walking, balance issues, disabilities affecting motor skills, muscle weakness, or other issues. He also wants to encourage and promote sports. He strongly believes that the youth of Rapa Nui have great physical potential and he hopes to become a positive influence in their lives.

Gabriela Korua Hucke, Fraternal Order of Moai Foundation Tangata Manu Award (2022), Business, Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland. Gabriela was the first head of Human Resources for the Rapa Nui National Park and created the department from the ground up. She also worked as the Director of the Rapanui immersion school Hōŋa’a Re’o Rapa Nui. She wants to promote the importance of human resources on Rapa Nui and feels she can make positive advances to improve workplaces in terms of employee well-being, benefits, and organizational development that will strengthen the sense of community with the Rapanui people.

Josefina Nahoe Mulloy, Georgia Lee Memorial Award (2022), Indigenous Education, Arizona State University, USA. Josefina hopes that her studies will enable her to support and promote the indigenous education movement on Rapa Nui. She feels that knowledge and information about culture, arts, skills and language is important, but it must begin with reinforcing the ancient Rapanui value system and reconnecting the younger generation to their ancestry and their land while simultaneously creating a sense of ownership and responsibility.

Francisca Katalina Hiti Teairangi Rapu Morales, Fraternal Order of Moai Foundation Award (2021, 2022), Dentistry, Universidad Andres Bello, Chile. Francisca hopes to open a dental clinic on Rapa Nui so that islanders can access treatment there instead of flying to the mainland. She looks forward to collaborating with colleagues at the Hanga Roa Hospital. Francisca wants to focus on teaching children the importance of oral care. In her future work, she hopes to create many healthy smiles for Rapa Nui and the world.

Estefania Matauri-uri Cofre Pakarati, William Liller Memorial Award (2021), Fraternal Order of Moai Foundation Roger Danger Carlson Award (2022), Natural Science/Mathematics/Computer Engineering Software, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. Estefania would like to create applications and websites for the Rapanui community for educational, cultural, or entertainment purposes. She wants to construct a dedicated website offering Rapanui language classes that focus on pronunciation and writing. Her goal is to implement new technologies on Rapa Nui to improve the quality of life for the islanders.

Akivi Te Ariki Nahoe Chaura, Huira Award (2021, 2022), Administration and Business, Instituto Profesional INACAP, Chile. Akivi feels that his career in administration and business management will be a great opportunity to create businesses and organizations that are the engine of growth and development on the island. He will focus on sustainable development, whether it be in the hospitality industry, private companies, organizations like Ma’u Henua, or in his own business.

Henua Manuela Ugarte Hucke, Sandra Broadrick-Allen Memorial Award (2021, 2022), Agronomy, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. Henua took part in a professional internship with INDAP Rapa Nui (National Institute for Agricultural Development), where she developed different activities to support farmers and ranchers of the Rapanui community. She has also worked with Agro-apícola Meri Moai to develop bee reproduction projects that will increase populations and support the pollination of different species of plants on Rapa Nui. Her main focus is to teach the importance of bees and their care to achieve better agronomic and productive development on the island, with the goal of production eventually being 100% local. This will enable the community to have more accessible prices and better food independence.

Makenon Nazario Jarod Tuki Pate, Wold Family Award (2021, 2022), Engineering Administration, Universidad Andres Bello, Chile. After he completes his studies, Makenon wants to return to the island with the intention of creating a Center of Comprehensive Development. The center will respond to the needs of the Rapanui people, incorporating ancestral wisdom with new technologies to train and empower entrepreneurs to use the best tools for projects in the areas of sustainable development, heritage preservation, and community support.

Kenny Luis Pate Pont, Fraternal Order of Moai Foundation Award (2021, 2022), Civil Engineering, Instituto AIEP, Chile. Kenny wants to become part of a support team that manages the well-being of the Rapanui community in the fields of health, education, administration, construction, and other areas. In his studies of civil engineering, he hopes to gain the knowledge to be able to create solutions and provide his community with better sustainability options for the future.

Maohi Bonansco Tuki, Fraternal Order of Moai Foundation Award (2021, 2022), Medicine, Universidad de Chile. After he completes his studies, Maohi wants to return to the island to work as a doctor. He is interested in research on diseases specifically affecting the Rapanui population, pathogens found on the island, alternative medicine, and the prevalence of non-transmissible chronic diseases.

Lene Andrea Troncoso Riroroko, Fraternal Order of Moai Foundation Award (2020, 2021, 2022), Medicine, Universidad de Chile. Lene feels that the rotation of professionals at the Hanga Roa Hospital does not allow for continuity of care of patients, who are often given provisional treatment with the possibility of transfer to the continent. She intends to address this problem using a structural approach, looking beyond the disease and having a preventative vision, in order to save on health expenses and avoid the associated high morbidity and mortality rates that affect Rapanui families and the community.

Rodrigo Heki’i Moiko Araki Rojas, Wold Family Award (2020, 2021, 2022), Dentistry, Universidad de Viña del Mar, Chile. The treatment of patients during their dental visits is important to Rodrigo because many people have anxiety and stress, causing an uncomfortable experience. Working on the island amongst the Rapanui people will enable him to provide continuity of care and to change the negative perception of dentists by decreasing patients’ insecurities and rewarding their collaboration to form a positive association with dental treatment.

Ariki Renato Merino Rapu, Wold Family Award (2020, 2021, 2022), Medicine, Universidad de Chile. Ariki has been learning to how to apply his medical skills to diagnose clinical conditions and determine the best treatments and prevention measures. These skills, along with personal development classes, will help him to provide quality care for his patients in the Rapanui community in the future. In addition to diagnosing and treatment of illness, he also wants to help with profound problems such as depression and anxiety, which he feels are highly undervalued mental health issues in Rapanui society today.

Guillermo Nicolás Atariki Álvarez Rivera, Fraternal Order of Moai Foundation Ohana Award (2020, 2021), Engineering & Applied Mathematics, Pontificia Universidad de Chile. In 2020, Guillermo studied at Politecnico di Milano, Italy, an experience made possible with his scholarship award. During this time, he developed a passion for data science and discovered methodologies that will be extremely useful for projects on Rapa Nui. Other courses focused on theoretical problem description and code implementation and will be applicable to the automation of manual tasks that are standard for many projects undertaken on the island by the Municipality, Conadi, the Government and Ma’u Henua.

Emilia Palma Tuki, Fraternal Order of Moai Foundation Tangata Manu Award (2021), Marine Biology, Universidad Católica del Norte, Chile. Emilia believes it is her duty to care for, protect, and preserve the cultural, marine, and terrestrial riches of Rapa Nui. Her past work experience on the island included autonomous diving, surfing, and snorkeling instruction as well as underwater photography. She and her family have observed changes over time in the sea around Rapa Nui, including the decrease in species diversity and algae, as well as the pollution and exploitation of marine resources. As a marine biologist, she will work toward the conservation and protection of the sea around Rapa Nui and globally.

Tauroa Matau Ernesto Aguilera Hey, Fraternal Order of Moai Foundation Award (2021), Visual Arts, Universidad Finis Terrae, Chile. Tauroa hopes to preserve the customs, stories, and symbolism of Rapanui culture through his art. The connection between his artwork and culture has given him recognition in the Rapanui community. He worked with Academia de la Lengua y Cultura Rapa Nui on a dictionary and a short story about COVID-19 on the island. Through art expositions on the continent, he has been able to share Rapanui culture with Chilean society. His objective is to preserve and promote his culture and his people at home and abroad.

Alexander Sutherland Freire Haoa, Georgia Lee Memorial Award (2021), Cartography/Topography, Universidad Santo Tomas, Chile. Alexander plans to work on Rapa Nui in the public sector in the design, planning, and implementation of projects such as the renovation of roads and other public works. He also wants to take part in archaeological studies in the Rapa Nui National Park. He is eager to map Rapa Nui photogrammetrically using drones and wants to build an updated island-wide map showing location points that could be used to design and plan future projects. In addition to independent work on the island, he would like to connect with other Polynesian islands to help implement topography-related projects.

José Julio Haumaru Calderón Fati, Wold Family Award (2020, 2021), Engineering and Conservation of Natural Resources, Universidad Austral de Chile. In 2020, Jose undertook his professional practice in the Environment Department of the Municipality of Easter Island, where he was involved in different studies that focused on the ocean, groundwater, wetlands, and recycling. This experience gave him the opportunity to work with other people who share his passion for the environment. Changes and transformations that arose on the island in 2020 generated discussion on issues relevant to the Rapanui community, such as food security, which opened the possibility of building governance, planning, and management of the territory as a community.

Mahani Belen Antonia Salinas Atan, Fraternal Order of Moai Foundation Award (2020, 2021), Law, Pontificia Universidad de Chile de Valparaíso, Chile. Mahani studied all aspects of law including professional ethics, which she hopes to apply faithfully to every challenge in which she is immersed; this value is also found in Rapanui culture, related to the concepts of Mo’a (respect) and Ha’atura (obedience). Mahani undertook a professional internship at CODEIPA and completed an internship at the local prosecutor’s office, where she learned about criminal and indigenous law, her two favorite subjects. Mahani conveyed her appreciation for all the support EIF gave her during her undergraduate studies and said it was essential for the successful completion of her degree.

Brayan Pate Tepano, Fraternal Order of Moai Foundation Award (2020, 2021), Nutrition & Dietetics, Universidad de Las Americas, Chile. After seeing the results of negative habits such as a sedentary lifestyle and poor diet, Brayan realized the benefits of encouraging people to take part in physical activity for optimal mental and physical health and to improve their quality of life through proper diet and nutrition. Brayan plans to apply his knowledge to gain more insight and generate studies using specific data from the Rapanui population. With his background, he wants to make important contributions to the health of the islanders as a nutritionist.

Tea Belen Anastasia Tuki Pakarati, Haka’ara Award (2020, 2021), Culture & Tourism, Universidad de Valparaíso, Chile. In 2020, Tea learned about the framework, construction, and design of cultural projects, territorial management, consulting, and business analysis. She also undertook an internship at the Corporation of Art and Culture of Rapa Nui, gaining new skills such as leading multidisciplinary groups, designing and formulating cultural projects specifically for Rapa Nui, management control, support in the exhibition of works, and the production of documentaries, as well as the formulation of a territorial plan focusing on the mental health of the island.

Camila Vaitiare Quezada Tuki, Wold Family Award (2020, 2021), International Relations, Academia de Humanismo Cristiana, Chile. Vaitiare would like to create a stronger bond between Rapa Nui and the islands of Polynesia and other countries by creating a type of embassy on Rapa Nui, where the Rapanui can autonomously manage their relations with Polynesia at home instead of in continental Chile. Her classes increasingly provided more tools to complement her knowledge and her professional practice, and helped her to envision ways she could apply her skills for the benefit of the island and its people. A highlight of Vaitiare’s academic career was the completion of her thesis on the topic of Rapa Nui law and the demands by the people for the revision of Articles 13 and 14, which deal with the violations of the rights of Rapanui women.

Micaela Anakena Cofré Pakarati, Fraternal Order of Moai Foundation Roger Danger Carlson Award (2020, 2021), Phonoaudiology, Pontificia Universidad de Chile. Micaela’s goal is to acquire the knowledge and skills to be able to link speech therapy to the Rapanui people and culture. The preservation of the Rapanui language is important to her; as a speech pathologist, she wants to promote the learning of the language through the creation of a school that reinforces the values of Rapanui traditions. She also wants to provide support for islanders who suffer from language disorders so that they can be positively included in society.

Tipanie Blanco Velásquez, Fraternal Order of Moai Foundation Award (2020), Medicine, Universidad de Santiago de Chile. During her professional practice, Tipanie learned how the public health system works in order to perform administrative work as a doctor and to inform patients of their rights. Her internship focused on the management of patients in all fields of internal medicine as well as high-risk situations in the ER. These experiences will help her to provide comprehensive medical care to the island community. She looks forward to fulfilling her dream of becoming a doctor on Rapa Nui.

Henua Pakarati Díaz, Fraternal Order of Moai Foundation Award (2020), Business Administration, Instituto Profesional Santo Tomas, Chile. Through the studies of micro and macroeconomics, Henua was able to observe and understand how governmental decisions and world changes impact people directly and indirectly, and how the collateral effects are suffered on Rapa Nui. In project management, she obtained the tools and necessary knowledge to help propel entrepreneurs, companies, and institutions forward using objective and concrete methods. These skills will enable her to provide training and financial advice to Rapanui people as a contribution to her community. Henua believes that her field of study complements her personal objectives and at the same time supports the future growth of the island.

Ariki Henua Riquelme Pate, Georgia Lee Memorial Award (2020), Sustainable Science Management, Maui College, Hawai’i, USA. Ariki’s program of study will prepare him to address important contemporary issues in sustainability including energy, ecology, business management, water, wastewater, agriculture, waste management, economics, politics, and the built environment. With this in mind, he intends to use his knowledge to help reduce the environmental impacts that are affecting the island and to preserve the limited natural resources that are threatened by exploitation.