Children of the Moai - He pakipūmeka tēnei nā ētehi tauiwi nō Canada i pirangi ana ki te whakaatu ki te ao he kōrero timata ai onamata tae noa ki ēnei rā mo te iwi e kii ana ngā tamariki o te Moai, arā, ko nga iwi o Rapanui.
A Canadian documentary on the history of the people of Rapanui. Promoting science as a revival tool for the devastated indigenous culture.
http://www.canamedia.com/show_pages/catalogue_can_docseries_easter.html (14/2/11)
Easter Island is the most remote inhabited place on our planet. For 1,500 years, this isolation has acted as both a shelter for -- and a curse upon -- the island’s indigenous Rapa Nui people. Trapped on their 64 square miles of land – 4,000 kilometres from their nearest neighbour -- the Rapa Nui eventually used up their limited resources only to see their tropical paradise transformed into a bleak prison filled with chaos, warfare and cannibalism. Facing in from the sea in their eternal vigil, each evening, the "Moai" statues are participants in an incredible display of hues--living colours--brought momentarily to life as the tropical sun once more bathes their stone faces. Shot completely in the HDTV, this documentary for the first time immerses viewers into the hauntingly beautiful world of the "Moai” and the ways of the Rapa Nui People.
By the 1400's over 15,000 people inhabited the tiny island. Powerful clans ruled, and they expressed themselves in sculpture, art and by creating a written language.
Rapa Nui life revolved around the canopy of giant palms the original settlers discovered. The palms were a source for canoes, food, clothing, tools and they provided the rollers necessary to move the large carved heads from the quarry to the seaside pedestals called Ahu. But by 1500's, the palms were all but cut down and the rains had washed most of the topsoil into the sea fowling the near shore fishing beds -- the civilization was threatened. Without canoes to fish in deeper water or soil to grow more food, the Rapa Nui faced imminent starvation. The ruling families waged war for what little food remained as rival groups toppled each other's "Moai." The Rapa Nui social system fell into chaos: cults formed, warriors took what they wanted and cannibalism was rampant. On Easter Island, civilization came to a crashing end with the population falling to 120 souls. Today’s 4000 Rapa Nui are the descendants of these few survivors.