Insular Chile Genealogy: Difference between revisions

*[[Pacific Island Guide to Family History Research|Pacific Island Guide to Family History Research]]

Easter Island (or Rapa Nui) is the southeast corner of the triangle of Polynesian islands, but administered by [[Chile Genealogy|Chile]]. The island lies 2500 miles west of the ''South American ''coast, and 2000 miles east of ''Tahiti'' in the other direction. It is 66 square miles in area.It is not tropical, and has no rivers.  

It has large deposits of ''lapilli tuff,'' from which the early inhabitants made over 800 giant statues (called ''Moa''i) that look out to the sea.<br>The LDS Church has one branch on ''Easter Island''.<br>

'''400 -600 A.D.''' Inhabitants arrive from the ''Marquesas Islands or Mangareva'', French Polynesia. (Some theories say they came from ''Uru,'' which is on the borders of Bolivia, Peru, and Chile.)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; (A 2008 theory says they came from Tonga.)<br>'''1722''' Dutch Explorer, Jacob Roggeveen, names it for Easter, the day he arrived.<br>'''1770''' Spanish explorer Don Felipe Gonzales, claims it for Spain, but this was never made official.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; '''1755''' The island is deforested and the&nbsp; clans are at war with one another.&nbsp; The bird man cult&nbsp; (tanganta manu) is pracitced.<br>'''1774''' British James Cook and French Admiral Bouganville spend a few hours.<br>'''1800s''' Whalers introduce diseases.<br>'''1805''' American ship kidnaps 22 islanders.<br>'''1860's''' Peruvian slave traders kidnap 1,407 islanders (one third of the island’s population).<br>'''1860's''' Peru sends 100 of the captives back, but only 10 survive, and they bring small pox to Easter Island.<br>'''1866''' French missionaries set up hospitals and missions.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The bird men cult ceases to be practiced.<br>'''1868''' Frenchman Jean-Baptiste Dutrou-Du Bornier sets himself up as governor<br>'''1871''' French missionaries leave. Two hundred Easter Islanders leave for Tahiti and 150 to Gambier. 1'''877''' DuBornier makes the island into a sheep ranch. The 150 Easter Islanders who are left murder him.<br>'''1888''' Chilean Captain, Policarpo Hurtado, takes possession of Easter Island in the name of Chile “forever.”<br>'''1870-1920''' Various ship wrecks leave passengers on the island.<br>'''1914''' Starving islanders revolt and request to go to Tahiti. Revolt did not succeed.<br>'''1934-1935''' French ethnologist, Alfred Metraux, gathers information and writes Ethnoloygy of Easter Island, published by the Bishop Museum Press.<br>'''1952''' Chilean Navy takes over the island. Keeps natives suppressed.<br>'''1955''' Thor Hyerdahl, a Norwegian professor, brings his expedition to study the island.<br>'''1964''' Another revolt. Elections ordered. Easter Islander named Rapu wins election. Suppression&nbsp;ends.&nbsp; Only those with Rapa Nui ancestry can own land on the island.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <br>'''1967''' Americans build tracking station and airfield. Commercial flights begin.<br>'''2000''' There is a branch of the LDS Church on the island.  

Very few resources are available through the Library. The one genealogy book is:<br>''Genealogy of the Kings of Rapa Nui'', by William DeWitt Alexander is on film '''FHL US/CAN Film 1026225, item 2.'''