Traditions of Easter Islanders

Ahu Akivi sacred site

By Zenan Delaney

So what about the people the life of the islanders, what lies behind the façade of tourism? As with many isolated societies, islanders have their skeletons in the closet. Until recently, the islanders harbored a dark side to their culture. It was an accepted part of their culture that the father would be the first man to take his daughter. In the last 10-20 years many women have come forward to speak out against this practice. Now, it is becoming more accepted for women to speak out against their abuse. The local police have begun to prosecute offenders under Chilean law, but in some quarters of island society on the island the practice still continues.

Still despite this disturbing revelation, you will love the island and its people. There are few places to visit twice, but Rapa Nui is definitely one of them. Although it is undoubtedly a tourist hot spot, it still feels like it is an undiscovered or lost world. The hospitality of the islanders is second to none and visitors find it more Polynesian than Latin. The islanders even consider themselves Polynesian and harbor some resentment towards the Chilean administration.