Letter questions rat theory

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
John Flenley/Paul Bahn (with response by Dr. Terry Hunt)
American Scientist Online
Viewed December 7, 2006

We find it difficult to take seriously the article "Rethinking the Fall of Easter Island" (September-October) in which Terry L. Hunt concludes that rats, not humans, were the main cause of the island's deforestation. We strongly believe that the archaeological and botanical data do point clearly to a scenario of human overexploitation of resources.

Click here to read the letter and a response.

Moai damaged and new penalty system

MINISTER’S FATHER THROWS STONES ON CHILE'S EASTER ISLAND
SOURCES: EL MERCURIO, LA TERCERA
By Laurel Bernstein (editor@santiagotimes.cl)
Santiago Times
(December 7, 2006)

On Easter Island last week, Enrique Schmidt, father of Minister Rommy Schmidt, was demonstrating to his traveling partner how the moais were constructed when he threw a 14 centimeter rock at one of the statues. The display left two small scuff marks on the ancient sculpture and a stain on the reputation of his political daughter ...

... Schmidt had planned to return to Santiago that day, but is now enjoying an extended vacation on the island because a local judge barred him from leaving until his case is settled. Judge Óscar Vargas is planning a trial on Thursday that will be completed that day. Penalties for the crime include jail sentences of 541 days to five years and fines from US$1700 to US$6900.

Click here for complete article.

New book invents Rapanui legend of "Death-in-the-Water"

Book Review: Hunters of the Dark Sea by Mel Odom
Written by Katie McNeill
Blog Critics
Published December 06, 2006

On the Brown-Eyed Sue in another part of the Pacific Ocean Professor Bullock and his daughter Katharine are searching for something that the natives of Easter Island call "Death-in-the-Water." The natives claim that it has the mask of a whale, but is not actually a whale.

Click here to read the complete review.

Santa Fe's El Museo Cultural to host Rapa Nui film and exhibition

In brief, 12/06/2006
Staff and wire reports
Santa Fe New Mexican
December 6, 2006

... "Petroglyphs of Rapanui" is scheduled for 5 to 8 p.m. today at the Gran Salon in El Museo Cultural, 1615B Paseo de Peralta ... running parallel to the Santa Fe Film Festival, which is showing the film Being RapaNui, funded partly by a grant from National Geographic All Roads Film Project.

Click here to read the complete article.

Taiwan forum for language group that includes Rapanui

Austronesian forum to take place in Dec.
Source: CNA
China Post
Wednesday, December 06, 2006

The 2006 Austronesian Forum, sponsored by the Cabinet-level Council of Indigenous Peoples, will take place Dec. 12-13 at National Pingtung University of Education's Minsheng campus in southern Taiwan, with nearly 400 people participating ... The Austronesian peoples share many common cultural roots, with their territory stretching from Easter Island to Madagascar and from New Zealand to the northern tip of Taiwan, covering nearly one-third of the globe and representing a population of nearly 300 million.

Click here to read the complete article.

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"Monolithic" pop culture references #25

Ever searching for news about Rapa Nui, this blog's administrator comes across many references to Rapa Nui and its famous moai. Often, these references are quite comical and have nothing to do with the island or the culture of Rapa Nui. Other times, they appear to be speculative, based more on misconceptions than reality, or downright bizarre. Here are some of the more recent references:

Lake County News-Chronicle:
When we enter our Exalted Shack Master in a summer parade, across all corners of the North, in Canada and occasionally the Tapati Rapa Nui Festival on Easter Island, it is done in the spirit of representing all deer camps across Lake County, from the nominal to the forlorn.

Whittier Daily News:
Director/designer Douglas Fitch put a campy twist on the classic Grimm Brothers' fairy tale with forest critters right out of "Where the Wild Things Are;" a wicked witch who is a Viennese version of Dame Edna; a Sandman who glides around the stage in a giant salt-cellar sculpted like an Easter Island head; and a Dew Fairy transformed into a singing Christmas tree. No matter, it's a gemutlich holiday confection and an ideal way to introduce youngsters to opera. Performances continue through Dec. 17.

Sydney Morning Herald:
"You have Queensland developing a new coal-fired power station and expanding its Gladstone port [for coal exports] … I think these things are going to look like Easter Island statues - stranded."

Catholic Online:
Of these moral duties we will speak another time. Let us conclude with a memory from a film. There are two big stories about icebergs in the movies. The one is that of the Titanic, which we know well. … The other is narrated in a Kevin Kostner film of several years back, "Rapa Nui." A legend of Easter Island, which is in the Pacific Ocean, tells of an iceberg that, in reality, is a ship and that passes close to the island every century or so. The king or hero can climb aboard and ride toward the kingdom of immortality.

Foto America festival in Rapa Nui

Capturing the Soul of Afghanistan - in Pictures
Daniela Estrada
Inter Press Service News Agency
Nov 30, 2006

Munita's photographic essay is one of the 210 works comprising the "Foto America" festival, which is taking place in every Chilean region, including Isla de Pascua (Easter Island) from Nov. 8 to Dec. 17 ... "Foto América" is a private initiative spearheaded by Chilean photographer Roberto Edwards, and inspired by other Latin American biennial festivals such as "Fotoseptiembre" in Mexico, "Mira Foto" in Perú and "Festival de la Luz" ("Festival of Light") in Argentina.

Click here to read the complete article.

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DailyIndia.com, FL - Nov 30, 2006

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Auckland Museum tells of Polynesian navigation

Following the stars into the unknown
by Angela Gregory
NZ Herald
Saturday December 2, 2006

The exhibition tells how Hawaii, Rapanui (Easter Island) and New Zealand were the last places to be discovered because getting to them involved overcoming enormous physical and technological challenges.

Click here to read the complete article.

Rapa Nui among treasured destinations in peril

World treasures meet the enemy: It's us
By Alfred Borcover - Special to the Tribune
Chicago Tribune
Published December 3, 2006

While visitors commune with the moais they rarely learn about the serious problems confronting Easter Island and its 4,000 residents.

Click here to read the complete article.

Rapa Nui News Logo Apparel

Just in time for the holidays ....

Are you a regular Rapa Nui News reader? Then let the whole world know by wearing one of these shirts with the RNN logo.
























They are available at the Tiki Chris CafePress store (www.cafepress.com/tikichris), range in price from $13.99 to $29.99, and are a great way to spread the word about Rapa Nui News.

Click here for more details and to purchase your own RNN apparel.

"Monolithic" pop culture references #24

Ever searching for news about Rapa Nui, this blog's administrator comes across many references to Rapa Nui and its famous moai. Often, these references are quite comical and have nothing to do with the island or the culture of Rapa Nui. Other times, they appear to be speculative, based more on misconceptions than reality, or downright bizarre. Here are some of the more recent references:

globeandmail.com:
The entrance is guarded by a stone Japanese warrior and two sculpted wooden faces that resemble Easter Island figures, whom Ms. Gringorten dubs "Fred and Barney."

Inside Line:
Well, it turns out Cadillac has grown a pair worthy of Easter Island.

Belfast Telgraph:
The petroglyphs at Lipona on Hiva Oa are more alarming than the Easter Island statues. There is one of a turtle and a man mating.

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Explora's owner wants to open hotel on Rapa Nui

CHILE’S ADVENTURE-LUXURY HOTEL TYCOON PLANS NEXT PROJECT IN EASTER ISLAND
SOURCE: EL SABADO
By Ashley Steinberg (editor@santiagotimes.cl)
Santiago Times
November 26, 2006

Pedro Ibanez owns two successful hotels, the Exploras, in remote areas in the south and north of Chile, and now he’s set his sights on a place even further away: Easter Island. But he has faced one big problem: non-native residents are prohibited from owning property there.

Click here to read the complete article.

Moai spotting in Florida

Our enchanted tiki boom
The South Seas tradition thrives in Florida's tropical setting, bringing exotic island getaways to the mainland.
Sandra Carr - Special to the Sentinel
Orlando Sentinel
Posted November 26, 2006

Down the road from the Mai-Kai, the Jetsetter, built in Lake Worth in 1947, is a diner-turned-Space-Age-pad with mod furnishings and a tiki bar that serves 100 exotic drinks. Three tall Easter Island-type Moai Tiki gods keep customers company in the garden ... a tall Moai statue greets guests at the front entrance of the Aku Tiki Inn, and Tiki god plaques decorate room doors.

Click here to read the complete article.

Tales of reed vessel trip to Rapa Nui thrilled middle schoolers

Chatham School District News
TownOnline.com
Friday, November 24, 2006

Mr. Phil Buck of Buck Expeditions thrilled middle schoolers with exquisite tales of climbing mountain peaks in North and South America, being host to a flesh-eating Amazonian parasite, and sailing a reed vessel from South America to Easter Island (twice!).

Click here to read the complete article.

"Monolithic" pop culture references #23

Ever searching for news about Rapa Nui, this blog's administrator comes across many references to Rapa Nui and its famous moai. Often, these references are quite comical and have nothing to do with the island or the culture of Rapa Nui. Other times, they appear to be speculative, based more on misconceptions than reality, or downright bizarre. Here are some of the more recent references:

Chicago Tribune:
What really gets people going isn't so much service going out. Technology falters, we all pretty much understand, and the means by which packets of information flow into and out of our computers remain as mysterious as the Easter Island statues.

SI.com:
Or not. Big is in, ponderous is popular, and somehow the natives on Easter Island moved those big stone statues.

Rapa Nui question posed by Jared Diamond

Cutting down the last tree
IQdoka's blog
Progressive U
Wed, 11/22/2006 – 2:29pm

There is this interesting question posed in Collapse by Jared Diamond in the section where he addresses the history of Easter Island. Evidently Easter Island had a unique environment that was damaged beyond recovery by its inhabitants, leading to their own virtual demise.

Click here to read the complete blog post.

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