Post #668145 by croe67 on Wed, Feb 20, 2013 6:45 PM

& to add some extra context to the story, I am please to share pictures of our 2 FOM Scholarship awards as well:

Lafquen Passalcqua Hucke (above) Fraternal Order of Moai Award ($3000)

Lafquen is in her fourth year of studying social anthropology at the Universidad Católica de Temuco. Her studies include recognition of the importance of the traditional knowledge of indigenous peoples. It is her belief that cultural knowledge should not only be preserved, but also transmitted to future generations to encourage pride in their ancestry. Through her education, Lafquen wants to document the cultural traditions and the ancestral knowledge of the Rapa Nui elders.

Pamina Olivares Paoa (above) Fraternal Order of Moai Tangata Manu Award ($2500)

Pamina is in her fifth year at the School of Architecture and Design, Pontifica Universidad Catolica, Valparaíso. The study of architecture has enabled her to combine two subjects she is passionate about: art and history. After she completes her studies, she would like to work towards reinforcing two of the island’s economic mainstays: fishing and tourism. One of her ideas is to develop a long term project working with other disciplines towards creating a marine reserve on the island for endangered species, with the goal of having a sustainable ecosystem. She is also interested in preserving the ancestral methods of fishing to both revive these traditions and use them for tourism. She envisions development of an interpretive trail along the coastline that emphasizes the importance of fishing and marine resources to the ancestral Rapanu that will help educate visitors about the island’s coastal resources.