Video Project by Students on Rapa Nui

High School students on the Island of Rapa Nui have been participating in a'po - The Rapa Nui Youth Involvement Program - for a number of years & each year the students take on an unique project of their choosing.

Most recently the students produced an informative & interesting video about the island & about one historically significant moai, in particular.

I really enjoyed seeing the video & learning amore about this organization that actively works to help preserve the island & it's resources through working with the youth of the island. You can read more & view the 8 minute video here:

http://www.fraternalorderofmoai.org/news/index.php/2010/07/30/hoa-hakananai-a

Nice video (though the students could use the "Ken Burns" effect a little more sparingly to better effect). I didn't know about the Louis Vuitton stuff. That's ass.

Very interesting video. The narration was in Spanish - I guess I knew Rapa Nui is a territory of Chile but for some reason I didn't expect them to speak Spanish.

Yes, their primary language is, indeed, Spanish. Thanks goodness for the sub-titles! :D

The Rapa Nui language does still exist, some (not all) of the Rapa Nui do speak it, though not as their primary language. It has commonalities with many pacific island languages, with many similar words. You hear it mainly if you go to some of the "tourist" music/dance shows or the annual Tapati festival, as those are performed in the Rapa Nui language, as well as in traditional Rapa Nui attire.

(a couple pictures from my visit to the island):