The Rapa Nui people have experienced an ethnic reaffirmation in the last few decades, forcing them to appreciate and appraise themselves as an indigenous people.

A New Day for the Rapa Nui Language?

Fortunately, the Rapa Nui people have experienced an ethnic reaffirmation in the last few decades, forcing them to appreciate and appraise themselves as an indigenous people. And so the Rapa Nui language lives on, because this reassessment of their culture has, among other things, reinforced the association of language to their identity.

Rapa Nui Today

It was more than a century ago that Chile annexed Easter Island, and since that time the Spanish language has pretty much taken over from the Polynesian-based language known as Rapa Nui. In fact, the Chilean government outlawed the islanders from speaking in Rapa Nui right up until the late 1990s – any job in the public sector or office required the applicant to know and speak the Spanish language. In fact, anything involving the police, schools or property rights was handled in Spanish.

Alicia Makohe is a great, great granddaughter of a Rapa Nui King, and even she grew up speaking Spanish. She was 14 years of age when she taught herself the Rapa Nui language. Then, about 10 years ago, Chile changed its tune. No longer was Spanish required in public institutions, and new school programs, reading materials and music classes were being funded in order to reverse the decline of Rapa Nui. Now, thanks to these funds, there’s at least one instruction class in the Rapa Nui language in every school on the island. It’s now understood that it’s very important for people to maintain their language, because not only is it their identity, it’s their spirit and their worldview – basically, it’s their soul.

The Struggle Continues to Retain the Rapa Nui Language

Away from the classroom, however, it’s a slightly different story. Rapa Nui families usually speak Spanish. Because many children end up in school in Chile, the families believe that if this is where their future lies, then the Rapa Nui language is not helpful to their future.

Some locals of Rapa Nui hope for employment situations to change on Easter Island, with the dream being that government policies will allow for children speaking Rapa Nui to be considered for jobs. One thing that hinders this dream is that the language has only recently been written down – up until this point it had been a strictly oral tradition.

A Newspaper, and Now a Dictionary!

The first ever Rapa Nui newspaper was released in the year 2010, and a first dictionary is also in the works. One editor of the dictionary is a linguist and Christian missionary, Robert Weber. He, together with his wife Nancy, have dedicated more than 30 years of their lives to preserving the Rapa Nui language. According to Robert Weber, Rapa Nui is a complex language - full of expressions, and a language that’s tricky to define.

It’s highly likely that tourists will continue to travel to Easter Island, regardless of whether the Rapa Nui language survives, or not. Unfortunately, without this language, the dance routines and music of the islanders would simply become nostalgia.

It’s not easy to visualise Rapa Nui returning as a native tongue, particularly after its close call with eradication. But, it does stand a better chance today than it did a decade ago; now that we have young people speaking their mother tongue, in addition to the Chilean government backing efforts to save this beautiful language.

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Our highly experienced translators have a vast amount of experience with the Rapa Nui language. Generally, our translators are native speakers and able to easily recognise different dialects and subtle differences which occur between regions. Whether your translation project is large or small, legal or technical in nature, our professional translators can accurately translate any source material. Contact us today for an obligation free quotation!