Rapa Nui people

Full Name: Bensekrane Habib

As the original inhabitants of Easter Island, the Rapa Nui people have some
fascinating customs that must have seemed strange to their European
conquerors. Most famous for the incredible Moai statues scattered around the
island, the Rapa Nui also worshiped a bizarre birdman cult and were experts in
farming the land. Culture Trip takes an in-depth look at these intriguing
indigenous people. The Rapa Nui people most likely migrated to Easter Island
from the Marquesas Islands in Polynesia, some 2,200 miles (3,600 kilometers)
away. Scholars disagree on exactly when they arrived, with estimates varying
between 400 and 1250 AD. The purpose of their migration is also a mystery,
especially considering the perils of such a long journey at sea. Legend has it
that a man by the name of Hotu Matu’a was the first to arrive on the island,
sailing in on a big canoe with his wife and a few companions. Unfortunately,
pre-colonial Rapa Nui history was entirely oral, so it’s impossible to verify such
tales.
 The culture of the Rapa Nui people is very similar to other Polynesian
societies. Traditional dress includes feather headdresses and simple loincloths,
while carvings are composed of stone or wood and jewelry from coral or
seashells. Music comprises chanting and choral singing accompanied by conch
shell trumpets, and the Rapa Nui people typically perform it during ceremonies
with plenty of dancing. One of the most remarkable things about the Rapa Nui
civilization is how they carved some 900 massive statues known as Moai and
transported them around the island. These incredible constructions are
thought to have harnessed the political and spiritual power of long-lost
ancestors.

The birdman cult is another fascinating aspect of the Rapa Nui, an extinct
religion where the bird played a central role. Every year, a competition would
take place in which four noblemen were selected by prophets to retrieve the
first egg of the season from a nearby island. Rather than do it themselves, the
noblemen would choose a servant to climb down the treacherous cliff face and
swim through shark-infested waters towards the island. Many died in the
process, but upon returning with the egg, the winner allowed his master to
achieve the illustrious title of Tangata Manu (birdman). This newly entitled
birdman was considered sacred and given a special hut in which he should do
nothing more than eat and sleep for the next 12 months. The Rapa Nui people
brought their agricultural skills with them from Polynesia. They planted crops
of potato, yams, and bananas throughout the island and built complex
irrigation systems as well as stone walls to protect them from strong winds.
They also implemented the ingenious system called lithic mulching, in which
rocks were arranged in patterns to force crops to grow only in certain areas.
This clever technique increased soil moisture and reduced erosion.
Unfortunately, the Rapa Nui required a lot of flat ground for agriculture, which
led to large-scale deforestation.