Voyage to the moai of Rapa Nui (Easter Island)


Moai of Rapa Nui (Easter Island), Waka Tapu, and the reclaiming of cultural heritage

These giant statues embody the ancients who first voyaged to Rapa Nui. Many were toppled; all lost their coral eyes.


Additional resources

Rapa Nui National Park UNESCO site

Easter Island on The Met’s Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History

Easter Island: The Rock Art Statues of Rapa Nui (Bradshaw Foundation)

Easter Island Statue Project

Cite this page as: Dr. Wayne Ngata and Dr. Steven Zucker, "Voyage to the moai of Rapa Nui (Easter Island)," in Smarthistory, August 10, 2017, accessed June 8, 2023, https://smarthistory.org/moai-waka/.