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Description
Forces of globalization and a history of colonialism have brought Chilean people and culture to Polynesian Easter Island, and the indigenous Polynesian residents - known as the Rapa Nui - are working against these forces to revive and maintain their Polynesian language and cultural practices. Tourism is Easter Island’s main economic activity, and is both a blessing and a burden on the island. The capital that the industry brings is needed and greatly appreciated by Rapa Nui residents, as it allows them to improve their material standard of living in addition to investing in education and programs to celebrate their culture and heritage. On the other hand, however, tourism strains the environmental resources of the island, and the large number of foreign tourists and Chilean mainland residents moving to the island are threatening to dilute the Rapa Nui language, traditions, and cultural practices. This study addresses some of the shifts resulting from tourism on Easter Island, focusing specifically on the shifts in Chilean and Rapa Nui identities, connectivity, and governance. I found significant links between tourism and connectivity linking the island to the outside world, which are facilitated and encouraged by the Chilean government. The intertwining of tourism, governance, and connectivity impacts the development of the Rapa Nui and Chilean identities on Easter Island. The qualitative study consisted of 3 months of fieldwork on Easter Island, where I collected semi-formal interviews and surveys with Chilean and Rapa Nui residents of the island, in addition to archival work, with the intention to fill the gap in Easter Island literature in geography and contribute a new case study in processes of tourism management, identity, and indigenous relations in Latin America.
