Rapa Nui, also known as Easter Island, is the eastern most island in the Polynesian region. The first European to discover the remote island was Jacob Roggeveen in 1722. When they arrived, there was over three thousand native inhabitants on the island. But, due to the kidnapping of over one thousand male slaves and sicknesses, by the year 1872 there were only approximately one hundred and seventy-five people left on the island. It declined further slowly into the 1880s but from there began to increase and in 1981 there were one thousand nine hundred natives living on Easter Island and many more living in Chile and the USA (Encyclopedia of World Cultures 1996 pg. 1, 2) The social, political, cultural and economic factors of Rapa Nui are the four main factors of their society. SOCIAL There are many social factors of the ancient Rapa Nui society. Business Dictionary (2017, pg. 1) states, “A status hierarchy in which individuals and groups are classified on the basis of esteem and prestige acquired mainly through economic success and accumulation of wealth. Social class may also refer to any particular level in such a hierarchy.” is the definition of social class. There were four social classes of the ancient Easter Island society. Noble men, also known as ariki, were some of the minor leaders of the Rapa Nui people but held a small amount of power. Little is known about the priests, who were called ivi-atua, as when the missionaries came with the European settlers in 1722,
At this tense meeting with considerable distrust and suspicion evident in the faces, speeches and body language of the Samoan chiefs, the High Chief expressed considerable skepticism about American plans for the island, such as providing more education in English, teaching the young marketable skills, and developing the country. Being educated at the University of Hawaii, the High Chief would have had very good reason to be suspicious of the intentions of the United States, even when its representatives expressed their goodwill toward the Native peoples and desire to bring 'progress; and 'modernization. He would have learned about the wars against the Native Americans from the 17th to the 19th Centuries, for example, the annexation of Hawaii in 1898, and the Philippines War of 1899-1902, if indeed he had not known all about these before.
In the article by Jared Diamond, many interesting theories are discussed about Easter Island’s history and decline. Diamond makes connections to the environmental challenges we face today and he compares the catastrophe of Easter Island to our current over consumption of natural resources. While this article makes for an interesting read, much of it is offered from a single perspective and little counter evidence is offered. The author writes in a way that could engage a non-academic audience who may not be interested in counter evidence, or proper referencing. The article lacks credibility due to its narrow scope and conversational diction. At the root of this discussion however, is the notion that the Rapa Nui people were
Historical studies indicate that the New Guinea was one of the hottest countries, insect infested, and occupied by aggressive people. The Imbonggu community is one of the integral parts of the community. William E. Wormsley drew a special insight into the lives of these people after spending several years with them. In his fascinating book, the author uses an incisive, yet articulate, voice to describe the culture, social structure as well as bride wealth, religion, and magic among these people (Wormsley, 1993). During that period, New Guinea was specially known as a man-eating zone. The local people were reputed as cannibals, nasty and aggressive people. Therefore, as the anthropologist of his time, Wormsley was destined to critically analyze the group on their view of the white man. A study that released results that still struck the world with shock (Wormsley, 1993).
The Hawaiian Islands are well known for their beauty, tranquility, and unique culture that have shaped this state into what we see today. The special bond that the natives have formed between themselves and nature is not exactly one of a kind, but it is something that can truly be admired. Around approximately 300 AD, Hawaii was discovered by Polynesians who arrived by canoe from Tahiti. These migrants brought their polytheistic spirituality and formed a large intricate society with hierarchies consisting of many chiefs. Alongside the ruling of the chiefs, the newborn Hawaiians followed a strict belief system known as Kapu akua otherwise known as the “law of the gods”. The Kapu was a strict set of rules and restraints that dictated all
The Hawaiians were further depicted as "thieves" like the rest of the "people in Polynesia," and plagued with the barbaric accusation of committing infanticide. These so called "facts" were enough for the Euro-American forces to send out missionaries to regulate the Hawaiian people and take over their land and all their practices. (Stannard, 381- 417)
In this chapter Jared Diamond describes how two societies the Maori and the Moriori were almost whipped out by the environment and in some cases each other. These two societies had some of the same ancestors but the Maori were way more developed than the Moriori. In the chapter Diamond explains how they were separated but developed in opposite directions. Diamond then goes on to explaining how the islands these societies lived on were different from each either. The next main point of this chapter was how population and politics were worked out on these islands. It is shown how many people lived on each island from populations as little as 5 people per square mile to 1,100 people per square mile. Diamonds last topic explains how both of these societies needed to advance their tools in order to survive the conditions they lived in.
1. The Nacirema culture gradually developed into a market economy that is extremely devoted to daily rituals. The tribe's perspective towards the human body shows unusual and strange behaviors that they possess. They believe that the human body is hideous and is prone to illness and weakness. The Nacirema tribe also have an irrational fear regarding the mouth, because they believe that their teeth would fall out or their gums would bleed which shows their behaviors are vaguely eccentric. From my perspective, the ritual activity that involves washing a child's mouth to enhance moral behavior is fascinating, because they believe that a strong bond exists between oral and moral traits. The ritual ablution they perform on children is supposed to improve the ability to do what is right, no matter the situation.
While reading about the Nacirema culture, I was very shocked to hear their beliefs, rituals, and way of life. The first thing that stood out to me was the fact that they viewed the body as causing diseases, weakness and ugliness. Never before have I been taught about a culture that views human bodies so negatively. Second, it amazes me how much power the charms and magical potions have on these people. They truly believe that without these "magical potions" and "charms" they would die.Third, the whole "holy-mouth-men" concept baffles my mind. They believe that without these men, their gums would bleed and their teeth fall out. When in reality the "holy-mouth-men" cause the bleeding and take their teeth out. Even when they see these men
his paper will define and explain the positive and negative impacts that colonization and globalization have had on the Tohono O’odham Indians. I will provide examples from articles found on the cultural survival website on how the O’odham Indians are finding ways to continue to survive in today’s world. Additionally, the location and some historical details about the Tohono O’odham Indians will be discussed.
The people of Easter Island came over to their new land, and recognized that it was ideal for them to settle. The land was lush; the sea was providing a bounty of fresh fish, and other seafood. The earth was dark brown, and very rich. Everything was just the way it needed to be to support a growing community of people.
Leonard A. Crippa’s article, “The Inspiring Rapa Nui Nation’s Efforts to Rebuild Its Government and Regain Control of Its Territory,” examines the relationship between the autonomy-seeking Rapa Nui people and Chile, which governs the nation. Like many of the different regional groups that we have studied, the Rapa Nui are dependent upon their environment for shelter and food. While the resources of Rapa Nui are not directly threatened by the commodity trade, tourism and uncontrolled immigration threaten the livelihood of the people living on the Rapa Nui islands.
The island of Samoa, also known as the “Treasured Islands” or the “Independent State of Samoa” is located between the island of Hawaii and New Zealand in the Polynesian area of the South Pacific. Samoan ancestors left their first mark on the island around 3,000 years ago. Researchers and scientists are still finding small traces of old pottery and belongings left behind. Samoans lived in villages, mainly in the coastal regions which included a vast and open area along with several residencies and huts used as meeting areas or cooking rooms. They later on evolved into using stones to
The Kaluli are a small clan of indigenous people who live in the rain forests in the Southern Highlands of the Great Papuan Plateau found in Papua New Guinea. The Kaluli people’s residency includes up to twenty longhouses each with about fifteen families in them, numbering roughly to about sixty to ninety people in each longhouse. The Kaluli culture does not involve any ranked social structure or individuals with hierarchical authority over others, however relies on strong egalitarian and equal values. The purpose of this of this paper is to highlight the Kaluli people’s identity, their unique upbringing and their struggles faced by missionization. This text will first identify how Kaluli children, both male and female are socialized and encultured in different ways through the mother enforcing certain traits, attitudes, behaviors, traditions and work ethics. Secondly this text will consider how missionization, i.e. the communication of other cultures and the indoctrination of Christianity by missionaries has disrupted the Kaluli’s sense of place. It will focus on the introduction of European-based time, the introduction and demise of some types of languages and the ownership of land and identity. Thirdly this paper will discuss how the enculturation of Kaluli children differs from more civilized enculturation of children and possible reasons for this
Geologically, Easter Island is one of the youngest inhabited territories on the earth. Its inhabitants, the Rapu Nui, have endured epidemics or disease, famines, slave raids, civil war, cannibalism, and have seen their population crash on more than one occasion. Easter Island is famous for its statues, the Moai. Easter Island is a Chilean territory located in the south eastern Pacific Ocean. It has a population of six thousand and has an area of 163.6 km2 .Easter Island is famous for its 200 stone statues. The Moai as they’re known were made by the local people from basalt stone picks and hard volcano ash. They were made to show remembrance to their gods and ancestors. I will be exploring what caused the downfall of Easter island.
The Maori, “Children of Heaven”, are the indigenous people of New Zealand. It has been thought that Polynesian navigator Kupe, discovered New Zealand in 950 AD, and named the island Aotearoa, “Land of the long white cloud”.1 The Maori migrated to New Zealand from the tropical islands of