The Art Of The Rapanui Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The Art Of The Rapanui - Essay ExampleArt has for a protracted time, been used to make political statements among the Rapanui. The art of the Rapanui, in particular, the statues of Moai, are the last part of the ancient story of these people and because of this, they still have a special impact on then Rapanui. When the Spanish colonise the Easter Islands, they discovered the importance of these statues to the Rapanui and in order to make a political statement, these giant statues were toppled from their pedestals, to taper that the Spanish were dominant on the islands. While this may have been the case, these statues have come to be recognised as a unique part of the Rapanui heritage and attempts have been made by the Chilean government, which governs the islands, to regenerate them. The Rapanui have made these statues their rallying point when agitating for political independence from Chile, which they consider an oppressive colonizer (Romero). A similar political statement wa s made in the past by the English in a bid to establish their dominance over the Scottish people. The English, after defeating the Scots in battle, took the fundamental Stone of Scone, which was an essential part of the Scottish coronation ritual, from Scotland to England (Stone of Scone due Back in Scotland instantly 5). This was used as a symbol of English dominance of the Scots, but in this instance, it does not face to have worked since Scotland came to regain its independence later.