Moai, sacred ancestor figures of Rapa Nui

Summary

The American Museum of Natural History features a cast of a Moai, a monumental statue from Rapa Nui (Easter Island), which has gained popularity due to its appearance in a movie. The Moai, representing ancestors and sacred figures, are typically over 14 feet tall with distinct features like large eyes and pronounced noses. The cast, created by artist Toshio Asaeda, offers a chance for visitors to learn about Rapa Nui's culture and the transition from the Moai religion to the Bird Man religion. The indigenous people of Rapa Nui are now seeking the repatriation of these significant figures from museums, highlighting the ongoing efforts to preserve and respect their cultural heritage.

Takeaways

• 🏛️ The Moai statue at the American Museum of Natural History is a cast from Rapa Nui, not an original artifact.
• 🎬 The statue's popularity surged due to its appearance in a recent movie, drawing many visitors to the museum.
• 🌴 Rapa Nui, also known as Easter Island, is located in the Pacific and is famous for its Moai statues, which are sacred ancestor figures.
• 📏 The Moai statues are massive, with an average height of 14 feet, carved from stone on the island.
• 🌀 The statues served as a bridge between the earthly realm and the supernatural, often standing on platforms called ahu.
• 👁️ Some Moai originally had inlaid eyes made of coral, adding a different visual dimension to their appearance.
• 🌍 The cast in the museum was made by Toshio Asaeda in 1971, during an expedition to Rapa Nui.
• 🗿 There are about 900 Moai figures on the island, typically facing inland with their backs to the sea.
• 🦅 By the 1400s, the original Moai-based religion declined, replaced by the Bird Man religion.
• 🤔 The depiction of the Moai in popular media, such as the 'Dumb Dumb' character in *Night at the Museum*, perpetuates misconceptions about the Moai and Pacific cultures.

Q & A

What is the Moai from Rapa Nui popularly known for?

The Moai from Rapa Nui is popular due to its appearance in a recent movie, which has led to many visitors wanting to take pictures with it at the American Museum of Natural History.

Why is the Moai in the museum a cast and not the original?

The Moai in the museum is a cast because the original Moai are sacred figures that belong in Rapa Nui. They are considered ancestor figures and are very heavy, made out of massive stone carved on the island.

What was the purpose of the Moai in Rapa Nui's culture?

The Moai were worshiped through different ceremonies and were part of a sacred precinct, forming a bridge between the earthly and supernatural realms. They stood on platforms called ahu, facing inwards towards the middle of the island.

How many Moai figures are there on Rapa Nui?

There are close to 900 Moai figures on Rapa Nui.

How were the Moai originally constructed?

The Moai were carved from rock quarries inland, with their fronts carved while still attached to the rock, and then the rest chipped away from behind before being raised.

What were the Moai's original eye features like?

The Moai originally had inlaid eyes, made of coral, which would have made them look very different from how they appear today.

What is the significance of the Moai's physical features, such as their large eyes and pronounced nose?

The large eyes, pronounced nose, and other features like the squarish chin and elongated ears were part of the ritual power and represented the Moai's imposing and dignified nature.

How tall are the Moai on average?

The Moai are on average about 14 feet high.

What is the significance of the Moai's back being to the sea and facing inwards?

The Moai's backs being to the sea and facing inwards towards the middle of the island symbolizes their role as guardians and their connection to the island's ancestral and cultural significance.

Why do the indigenous people of Rapa Nui want some of the Moai in museums to be repatriated?

The indigenous people of Rapa Nui are interested in repatriating some of the Moai because they are sacred figures and important cultural artifacts that hold significant ancestral and spiritual value.

How has the portrayal of the Moai in the movie 'The Night at the Museum' affected public perception?

The portrayal of the Moai as 'Dumb Dumb' in the movie 'The Night at the Museum' continues stereotypes about the Pacific being a primitive place, which is not accurate, and does not reflect the Moai's true significance as figures of wisdom, dignity, and ancestral power.

Outlines

00:00

🗿 Exploring the Moai at the American Museum of Natural History

The video script introduces viewers to a Moai replica in the American Museum of Natural History, which has gained popularity due to its appearance in a recent movie. The narrators express hope that visitors will not only take pictures with the Moai but also learn about its cultural significance. The Moai, a cast and not an original, is appreciated for its ability to attract people to the Pacific Hall. The discussion highlights the sacred and ancestral nature of the Moai, their creation from massive stone on Rapa Nui (Easter Island), and their role in ceremonies. The script also touches on the history of the Moai, including their creation by artist Toshio Asaeda during an expedition and the transition from the original religion to the Birdman religion. The indigenous people's desire for repatriation of some Moai in museums is also mentioned.

05:01

🌊 Cultural Continuity and Challenges on Rapa Nui

This paragraph delves into the historical and cultural challenges faced by Rapa Nui, including the impact of colonization and missionization. The narrators discuss the resilience of the Rapa Nui people in preserving their traditions despite difficulties such as European diseases and slave raids. The conversation also addresses the portrayal of the Moai in popular culture, specifically in the movie 'The Night at the Museum,' where the character is named Dumb Dumb, which perpetuates stereotypes of the Pacific as primitive. The narrators emphasize the importance of recognizing the Moai as symbols of wisdom, dignity, and ancestral power, rather than as primitive figures.

Keywords

💡Moai

Moai are monumental statues carved by the Rapa Nui people on the remote Easter Island, also known as Rapa Nui. These statues represent ancestors and were considered sacred figures. In the video, the Moai is central to the discussion as it is a significant cultural artifact that draws visitors to the museum, symbolizing the rich cultural heritage of the Pacific region.

💡Rapa Nui

Rapa Nui is the indigenous name for Easter Island, a remote island in the southeastern Pacific Ocean. Known for its Moai statues, Rapa Nui has a unique cultural history that the video seeks to explore and educate about. The island's name is significant as it corrects the common misnomer 'Easter Island' and emphasizes the indigenous perspective.

💡Cast

A cast in this context refers to a replica of the original Moai. The museum houses a cast, not the original, which is fortunate as it allows the original to remain on Rapa Nui, respecting the cultural significance of the statues. The cast serves as an educational tool to introduce visitors to the culture of Rapa Nui.

💡Ancestor Figures

Ancestor figures are representations of revered forebears in certain cultures, such as those of Rapa Nui. The Moai statues are considered ancestor figures, linking the earthly and supernatural realms. They embody the cultural and spiritual beliefs of the Rapa Nui people, as discussed in the video.

💡Ahu

Ahu are stone platforms on which the Moai statues were placed, elevating them above the people. In the video, Ahu are mentioned to illustrate how the Moai were displayed and interacted with by the Rapa Nui people, emphasizing the statues' importance in communal and ritualistic practices.

💡Rano Raraku

Rano Raraku is a volcanic crater on Rapa Nui where many Moai statues were quarried and carved. The video mentions a plaster cast made from a Moai located here, highlighting the origin and creation process of these statues.

💡Toshio Asaeda

Toshio Asaeda was an artist who accompanied an expedition to Rapa Nui and created the plaster cast of a Moai that is now in the museum. His work is significant as it allowed for the dissemination of the Moai's image and the culture of Rapa Nui to a broader audience.

💡Bird Man Religion

The Bird Man Religion was a religious practice that emerged on Rapa Nui around 1400, succeeding the religion that inspired the creation of the Moai. The video discusses this transition, indicating a shift in cultural and religious practices on the island.

💡Repatriation

Repatriation refers to the process of returning cultural artifacts to their original location or culture of origin. The video mentions the desire of the Rapa Nui people to have some of the Moai statues, currently in museums, returned to them, emphasizing the ongoing struggle for cultural preservation.

💡Colonization

Colonization is the establishment of a colony in a new land to exploit its resources or people. The video discusses the impact of colonization on Rapa Nui, including the introduction of diseases and slave raids, which had devastating effects on the island's population and culture.

💡Cultural Traditions

Cultural traditions are the customs, beliefs, and practices passed down through generations. The video highlights the resilience of Rapa Nui's cultural traditions despite the challenges posed by colonization and external influences, showing the island's ongoing efforts to preserve and celebrate its heritage.

Highlights

The Moai at the American Museum of Natural History is a cast, not an original, allowing the original to remain on Rapa Nui.

The Moai has gained popularity due to its appearance in a recent movie, attracting many visitors.

The museum hopes visitors will learn about the Moai's cultural background and the Pacific Hall's other exhibits.

Moai are sacred and ancestral figures, traditionally worshiped through ceremonies on Rapa Nui.

The Moai cast was created by artist Toshio Asaeda during an expedition, and later brought to the museum.

Rapa Nui, known as Easter Island to the West, got its name from Dutch explorers who arrived on Easter Day in 1722.

There are nearly 900 Moai figures on Rapa Nui, which were part of a sacred precinct and helped form a bridge between earthly and supernatural realms.

Moai were placed on platforms called ahu, which raised them above the people for communion.

Moai are on average about 14 feet high, with large eyes and imposing bodies, facing inwards towards the island's center.

It is believed that many Moai originally had inlaid eyes made of coral, which would have made them look very different.

The Moai's faces are imposing, with a squarish chin, pronounced nose, and nostrils, and a very pronounced brow.

The Moai at the museum lacks the elongated ears and curved nostrils seen on those on Rapa Nui, possibly due to it being an artist's impression.

Moai are associated with specific ancestors, and the one in the British Museum, Hoa Hakanani'a, was found with Bird man religion images carved into its back.

Around 1400, the religion that inspired the Moai began to decline, and the Bird man religion emerged.

The indigenous people of Rapa Nui are interested in repatriating some of the Moai that are in museums.

Despite historical challenges, Rapa Nui has seen a resurgence in cultural traditions and population growth.

The character 'Dumb Dumb' from the movie 'The Night at the Museum' is unfortunate as it perpetuates stereotypes of the Pacific as primitive.

The Moai represents great ancestral power, wisdom, and dignity, contrary to the movie's portrayal.

Transcripts

(gentle piano jingle)

- [Narrator] We're in the

American Museum of Natural History

and we're looking at a Moai

from an island in the Pacific called Rapa Nui.

And it's very popular because

it appeared in a recent movie.

And so lots of folks come in the museum

and wanna take their picture with it.

- [Narrator Two] People already love

coming to see this Moai.

It's a cast, it's not an actual Moai from Rapa Nui,

and it's brought a lot of people into the Pacific Hall.

And we're hoping that people will

not just take their selfies with the Moai,

but they'll also stop and read a bit more about the Moai

and understand a bit more about

the culture that he comes from,

and also stop and look around the Pacific Hall

and learn a bit more about the

amazing cultures that are there.

- [Narrator] You normally think about museums having

original works of art, but this one is a cast.

- [Narrator Two] Yes, I'm so glad it's a cast

and not an actual Moai,

because they really do belong in Rapa Nui.

They were sacred figures.

They're ancestor figures, and they're very heavy.

They're made out of massive stone carved on the island

and they were worshiped through different ceremonies.

And what's happened over time is that

they become very iconic

and people from beyond the Pacific recognize them

and the museum wanted to have something

really substantial and impressive

and recognizable in their new Pacific Hall

when they were putting it together.

It was first open in the 1971.

When they had an expedition there,

they didn't bring back an actual Moai,

they were bringing back more documentation

about the ways of life there,

the different types of people there,

they were doing anthropological and other collecting,

but they had an artist with them, Toshio Asaeda,

and he created a plaster cast of one of the Moai

that was on the inner slope

of the volcanic crater, Rano Raraku.

And what they decided to do was

take this plaster cast and bring it back to the museum.

- [Narrator] Let's go back a minute

and talk about Rapa Nui,

because so many people in the west know it as Easter Island,

which is a name given to it by--

- [Narrator Two] The Dutch explorers

who landed there in 1722 on Easter day.

- [Narrator] So there are close to 900 of these figures.

They were part of a sacred precinct

where they helped to form a bridge as ancestors

between the earthly realm and the supernatural realm.

And they stood on these platforms called ahu.

- [Narrator Two] The ahu were platforms

that raised these Moai up high,

above the people who were communing with them.

- [Narrator] And they're already quite tall.

- [Narrator Two] On average, about 14 feet high.

So extremely impressive, very large eyes

and very imposing bodies and heads,

and their backs were to the sea.

They're facing inwards towards the middle of the island.

And they were carved inland

where the rock quarries were.

Their fronts were carved and they were

still attached to the rock.

And then the rest of them would be chipped away

from behind and then raised.

- [Narrator] We believe that many of them

did originally have inlaid eyes,

which would've made them look very different.

- [Narrator Two] They had eyes made of coral

and they were inset.

- [Narrator] Their faces are very imposing

and they seem to stick their very

squarish chin slightly forward.

Their shoulders are a bit narrow,

so that we really focus on that head

and the nostrils, the nose is very pronounced.

The brow is very pronounced,

but it must be very different

to see these on the island arranged in a row

with their backs to the sea.

- [Narrator Two] I think also you have the elongated ears,

which was another part of the ritual power.

I think that many of the early ancestors would've had

and you could also see the wonderful curved nostrils,

which are on all the figures on Rapa Nui.

The one here doesn't have

those wonderful nostrils, unfortunately.

We're not quite sure why,

but we think we have an artist's impression here.

We don't have an actual cast of the Moai's face.

- [Narrator] This was a very standard type,

but they're identified with specific ancestors.

For example, the one in the British museum.

- [Narrator Two] The one at the British museum,

Hoa Hakanani'a, was found in the ritual center

in the middle of Rapa Nui

and was brought by an archeological expedition

back to England.

And at the time when they unearthed it,

the expedition team saw that he was painted.

And the most amazing thing was that he had

Bird man religion images carved into his back.

So it's this incredible transition

from one religion to another

was represented in this one object.

- [Narrator] So by around 1400,

we begin to see the decline of the religion

that inspired these ancestor figures

and the rise of a new religion called the Bird man religion.

So the people of Rapa Nui today,

the indigenous people, are interested in repatriating

some of the figures that made it to

museums like in Washington, DC or in London.

- [Narrator Two] There's been course continuity

throughout the history Rapa Nui,

and though the population did drop terribly

because of European diseases that were brought in

because of the slave raids,

when people were taken off the island forcibly

and taken to working the mines in Chile,

the population has grown again,

but it's been a hard period

for a lot of the cultural traditions to survive

in the kinds of ways that the Rapa Nui would like.

There's been a lot of ways of remembering

those kinds of traditions

and bringing them to the fore again.

So even though there's been a lot of

the usual sorts of difficulties that people have

in a colonized and missionized environment.

- [Narrator] It is unfortunate that the character

in the movie The Night at the Museum is called Dumb Dumb.

- [Narrator Two] It does unfortunately

continue these ideas about the Pacific

being a primitive place,

which is of course not at all true.

And this ancestor figure is a figure of great manner,

great personal and ancestral power

with great wisdom and dignity.

And it would've been great if the character

could have been a character like that.

(gentle piano jingle)