Post #184862 by christiki295 on Tue, Sep 6, 2005 6:21 PM

On 2005-09-06 15:28, saxotica wrote:
I have a question; maybe somebody knows the answer.If the Europeans found Easter Island deserted, how are there native Rapa Nuians?

These links link somewhat address that issue:

http://www.apj.co.uk/rapanui_primer/appendix_history_overview.asp

http://www.hartford-hwp.com/archives/24/042.html

http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=7445&forum=1&hilite=Easter%20Island%20taxi

In a nutshell, the current Rapa Nui are intermingled, somewhat like many Hawaiians. Unfortuntately, the original Rapa Nui were enlaved and shipped off, wholesale, to work on the Guano farms in Tahiti.

Missionaries objected and were successful in having a significant number returned, only to inflict disease on the remaining population.

Consequently, it would be difficult to draw a direct link from today's inhabitants to the moai-builders.

However, the silver lining is that the Rapa Nui, during moai-builders were very clannish and did not intermarry much outside of the various clans, according to Kathleen Rutlidge, the grandmother of Easter Island anthropology.

Therefore, the "new blood" may actually enable Rapa Nui to persevere, even if the "pure" aboriginal blood-lines no longer exist, whereas the blood-lines of the Rapa Nui would have weakened to so much intermingling.

[ Edited by: christiki295 2005-09-06 18:23 ]