Heritage Voices · The Archaeology Podcast Network

Rapa Nui - Ep 91

·1 hr 2 min·2 clips

For the first time in modern history, Rapa Nui successfully repatriated ancestral remains from New Zealand in 2018.

This Heritage Voices episode features Rapa Nui community members Friar Francisco "Pancho" Nahoe and filmmaker Mata'u Rapu discussing cultural reclamation. Nahoe serves as a North American delegate for repatriating ancestral remains, while Rapu uses documentary film to correct global misconceptions about their living culture. Both guests emphasize that their seemingly separate work is deeply interconnected. Nahoe explains that Rapa Nui human remains are dispersed globally, often taken as prizes by visitors since the 18th century. He details the first international repatriation in 2018, facilitated by elder Mama Piru, which returned two crania from museums in New Zealand. Rapu describes his documentary *Eating Up Easter*, which featured Mama Piru's environmental and repatriation work before her death that same year. Nahoe traces a specific path of remains taken by a bounty hunter in the 1920s, sold by a London broker, and ending up in institutions like the University of Minnesota. A shocking insight is that less than a mile from Rapu's Minneapolis home, the University of Minnesota held Rapa Nui ancestral bones. Nahoe reveals that famed explorer Thor Heyerdahl and his 1955 Norwegian expedition signed formal repatriation agreements with Rapa Nui elders, a fact he discovered in old correspondence. The guests argue that environmental degradation, specifically erosion caused by colonial sheep ranching, directly exposed burial sites and enabled the theft of remains. Rapu reflects that his filmmaking creates "digital Moai" to preserve elders like Mama Piru for future generations. Nahoe observes that Mama Piru's ethos of environmental care is now widespread, with young people routinely picking up trash at archaeological sites. They challenge the British Museum's "safer in London" argument for keeping the stolen Moai Hoa Hakananai'a, noting a recent scandal where a curator pilfered items to sell on eBay. The tone is conversational and reflective, blending personal narrative with historical education and advocacy. Listeners interested in Indigenous sovereignty, museum ethics, and the living culture behind archaeological wonders will find this compelling. Those seeking only a historical mystery about the Moai's construction may find the focus on contemporary activism less engaging.

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