Easter Islanders Wonder How Many Statues Are Enough

International Herald Tribune ^ | 1-4-2007 | Larry Rohter

[blam]

Easter Islanders wonder how many statues are enough

By Larry Rohter Published: January 4, 2007

RANU RARAKU, Easter Island: As remnants of a vanished culture and a lure to tourists, the mysterious giant statues that stand as mute sentinels along the rocky coast here are the greatest treasure of this remote island. For local people, though, they also present a problem: What should be done about the hundreds of other stone icons, many of them damaged or still embedded in the ground, that are scattered around the island?

Commercial and political interests, as well as some archaeologists, would like nothing better than to restore more — or perhaps even eventually all — of the moai, as the statues are known. But many residents of Rapa Nui, the Polynesian name for Easter Island that is the preferred term here, regard that possibility with a mixture of suspicion and dread.

"We don't want to become an archaeological theme park, a Disney World of moai," Pedro Edmunds Paoa, the mayor of Hanga Roa, the island's largest settlement, said in an interview. "If we are going to keep on restoring moai, there has to be a good reason to do so."

The repaired and re-erected moai on display to visitors at the most popular half-dozen or so sites around Easter Island number fewer than 50. But estimates of the total number of statues unearthed on the island have now climbed to more than 900 and keep growing as excavations continue, with nearly half that total found here at the hillside quarry where the island's original inhabitants mined and carved the moai out of compressed volcanic ash.

"Having so many is both a blessing and a curse," said Jo Anne van Tilburg, an American archaeologist who has worked here since 1982...

[blam]

GGG Ping.

[JRios1968]

[BenLurkin]

Sell them to resorts in Hawaii, Tahiti or the Caribbean.

They'd look great by the pool.

[Physicist]

Auction some off. Everybody wins.

[RightWhale]

There are never enough moai. My property would need about 50 to properly guard it.

[HamiltonJay]

Exactly 900 of the little beasties? Seems you can sell them off to museums around the world, that way they'll wind up preserved, won't be taking up space on the island itself and make some money to boot.

[headsonpikes]

Perhaps the ancient Rapa Nuians were manufacturing giant chessmen - those sure look like pawns to me!

[SZonian]

"Dum-Dum get gum-gum"

from the movie "Night at the museum" good kids flick.

[Red Badger]

eBay...........

[Lil'freeper]

"We don't want to become an archaeological theme park, a Disney World of moai,"

Ah, phooey. They should hire Disney architects to design a nice hotel around the repaired statues... they'd make excellent columns in the lobby or around the pool, etc. They'd be a hoot on a golf course. That way you can contain the tourists, let them get up close and personal with the statues, but keep them out from underfoot of the local populace. Win-win.

That is, if you can move them. :)

[Tanniker Smith]

But many residents of Rapa Nui, the Polynesian name for Easter Island

Seriously?? Rapa Nui?
The reason I ask is that my son had son Bionicles for a while and Lego Magazine had a Bionicles comic in it, and the whole thing was set in Mata Nui. I thought that they made that up. Anyone know if Mata means something in Polynesian?

[ApplegateRanch]

Worst joke in history.

The tribe originally made a few small versions of these out of carved coconuts, and had them on the ends of the roof beams of their huts, to keep the birds from roosting above the doors.

Then one day, some Arab traders, who had been blown badly off course, landed at the island. While replenishing their water bags, they saw the small versions, and asked what they were for.

When told, they then told the inhabitants of the giant birds of their own lands, the roc.

A deal was struck: The Arabs would return to their homes, and then come back with a fleet to pick up, C.O.D., large, stone versions of the icons...as many as could be produced.

Having left a small down payment, the Arabs re-boarded the ship, and departed with several of the smaller versions as souvenirs, and laughed themselves silly asking each other how many of the big "roc scarers" the ignorant natives would make, before giving up hope of ever seeing the Arab's return.

If you properly translate the Rongorongo boards, you would know this sad story.

In a way, it is related to the "cargo cults" of post WWII fame.

[ApplegateRanch]

Worst joke in history.

The tribe originally made a few small versions of these out of carved coconuts, and had them on the ends of the roof beams of their huts, to keep the birds from roosting above the doors.

Then one day, some Arab traders, who had been blown badly off course, landed at the island. While replenishing their water bags, they saw the small versions, and asked what they were for.

When told, they then told the inhabitants of the giant birds of their own lands, the roc.

A deal was struck: The Arabs would return to their homes, and then come back with a fleet to pick up, C.O.D., large, stone versions of the icons...as many as could be produced.

Having left a small down payment, the Arabs re-boarded the ship, and departed with several of the smaller versions as souvenirs, and laughed themselves silly asking each other how many of the big "roc scarers" the ignorant natives would make, before giving up hope of ever seeing the Arab's return.

If you properly translate the Rongorongo boards, you would know this sad story.

In a way, it is related to the "cargo cults" of post WWII fame.

[SunkenCiv]

LOL!

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks Blam.

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[Little Ray]

An "archeologicial Disney" would sure make the islander's bank accounts. Otherwise, sell the things, and use the cash and liberated land to increase self-sufficiency.

[Little Ray]

I am sure it does; if I'm not mistaken, Lego was sued by the Maorii to stop using their language for names and what not for the Bionicle series. In fact, I think there is a ancient post somewhere on FR to that effect...

[Little Ray]

Here ya go!
http://www.freerepublic.com/forum/a3b14324743f2.htm

[Tanniker Smith]

Interesting. Thanks.