The Fight for Rapanui

Can the Easter Island's indigenous Rapanui win the battle for independence from Chile to protect their land and culture?

The famed monolithic Moai statues in Easter Island are symbols of the land’s mysterious past. Centuries ago, the Rapanui, a people of Polynesian descent, faced the threat of extinction as the island was on the brink of ecological collapse. In 1888, Chile annexed the South Pacific Island but until 1953 it allowed a Scottish company to manage the island as a giant sheep ranch. While the sheep roamed freely, the Rapanui were confined to the town. They revolted in 1964, obtaining Chilean citizenship and the right to elect their own mayor. Now, Chilean colonisers are threatening to wipe the indigenous culture out of existence. A wave of recent immigration to the South Pacific Island means that two out of every three inhabitants are from mainland Chile. The government of Chile says it is committed to a four-year, $60million-development plan for the island.New luxury hotels are wooing rich Chileans into town, a glimpse of what critics say will foster an income gap.Chilean migrants come to the island in part because of tax exemption. Tourists and mainland Chileans flock to Easter Island to enjoy the beaches on one of the world’s most remote islands.