Our Lost Friend
Easter Island/(Rapa Nui)/is famous for its giant statues/called moai. But did you know that the most famous statue/is in the British Museum? Moreover,/it was stolen from the islanders. Here is the story.
The story began/when a British ship arrived at Easter Island/in 1868. The crew saw huge statues/scattered on a hillside. Most of the statues were damaged,/but there was one smaller statue,/about 2.4 meters in height,/in perfect condition.
The crew took the statue/without asking permission from the islanders. In short,/they stole it. They brought it to England/as a gift for Queen Victoria,/who donated it to the British Museum. It is known/as Hoa Hakananai’a,/Rapa Nui words which can be translated/as “Lost Friend.”
About 150 years later,/the story took a new turn. In 2017/the Rapa Nui people gained control of their land,/which had been part of Chile/since 1888. One of the first things they did/was to try to bring Hoa Hakananai’a back/to Easter Island. They formed a delegation/to ask the British Museum/to let their Lost Friend come home.
In November 2018,/the delegation of the Rapa Nui people arrived in London/to look for Hoa Hakananai’a. They went immediately/to the British Museum. When they found him,/they were deeply moved. For them,/he represents the living soul of the island. They said,/“He is not just a rock;/he’s our brother.”
A member of the delegation explained,/“For the museum,/Hoa Hakananai’a is just an attraction. But for us,/he is one of our family. Once eyes are added to the statues,/they become the living embodiment/of our ancestors.” The moai have large empty eye sockets. According to legend,/when “eyes” made of bright stones and coral are inserted,/the moai come to life.
The leader of the delegation told the museum,/“Hoa Hakananai’a has been our ambassador to Great Britain/for 150 years. It’s time to let him come home. We will make a new moai/and send him to you.”
The British Museum welcomed the delegation/and discussed their proposal. In the end,/the museum offered to let Hoa Hakananai’a return,/but only as a loan. They refused to give it back permanently.
The museum did not deny/that the moai had been taken/without the islanders’ permission,/so why didn’t they immediately agree to return it?
From the point of view of the museum,/there are good reasons to keep the statue. Since Easter Island does not have/the security and controlled environmental conditions/that the British Museum has,/the statue is safer in London. The statue can now be seen by many more people/than on a remote island. Scholars have easier access to the statue. Moreover,/some people argue/that the moai deserves to be a world heritage object.
These reasons make sense. However,/the fact remains/that Hoa Hakananai’a was taken without permission/and is still held against the people’s will. So, many people/—not only the Rapa Nui—/question the museum’s reasoning.
Critics say that/the real reason the British Museum refuses to return the Rapa Nui’s Lost Friend/is quite different.
Hoa Hakananai’a is not the only artwork/that was taken without permission. The British Museum got many of its artworks/during the colonial period/(the late 16th through the early 20th century). The list includes the Parthenon Marbles from Greece,/the Rosetta Stone from Egypt,/and the Benin Bronzes from present-day Nigeria. And then/there are some 23,000 Chinese artworks. The owners are asking for the return/of their stolen treasures. If the museum returns the Lost Friend,/it would set a precedent.
Museums all over the world/face similar problems. Who is the rightful owner of works of art/that are hundreds or even thousands of years old? These works are now part of our priceless world heritage. And even if the rightful owners can be found,/can they be trusted to keep these works safe? One can argue/that great art belongs to the entire world/and should be displayed/where it can be safely viewed/by the largest number of people.
However,/for the Rapa Nui people,/these questions are less important/than the simple human desire/to bring home their lost family member,/their Lost Friend.
Easter Island/(Rapa Nui)/is famous for its giant statues/called moai. But did you know that the most famous statue/is in the British Museum? Moreover,/it was stolen from the islanders. Here is the story.
The story began/when a British ship arrived at Easter Island/in 1868. The crew saw huge statues/scattered on a hillside. Most of the statues were damaged,/but there was one smaller statue,/about 2.4 meters in height,/in perfect condition.
The crew took the statue/without asking permission from the islanders. In short,/they stole it. They brought it to England/as a gift for Queen Victoria,/who donated it to the British Museum. It is known/as Hoa Hakananai’a,/Rapa Nui words which can be translated/as “Lost Friend.”
About 150 years later,/the story took a new turn. In 2017/the Rapa Nui people gained control of their land,/which had been part of Chile/since 1888. One of the first things they did/was to try to bring Hoa Hakananai’a back/to Easter Island. They formed a delegation/to ask the British Museum/to let their Lost Friend come home.
In November 2018,/the delegation of the Rapa Nui people arrived in London/to look for Hoa Hakananai’a. They went immediately/to the British Museum. When they found him,/they were deeply moved. For them,/he represents the living soul of the island. They said,/“He is not just a rock;/he’s our brother.”
A member of the delegation explained,/“For the museum,/Hoa Hakananai’a is just an attraction. But for us,/he is one of our family. Once eyes are added to the statues,/they become the living embodiment/of our ancestors.” The moai have large empty eye sockets. According to legend,/when “eyes” made of bright stones and coral are inserted,/the moai come to life.
The leader of the delegation told the museum,/“Hoa Hakananai’a has been our ambassador to Great Britain/for 150 years. It’s time to let him come home. We will make a new moai/and send him to you.”
The British Museum welcomed the delegation/and discussed their proposal. In the end,/the museum offered to let Hoa Hakananai’a return,/but only as a loan. They refused to give it back permanently.
The museum did not deny/that the moai had been taken/without the islanders’ permission,/so why didn’t they immediately agree to return it?
From the point of view of the museum,/there are good reasons to keep the statue. Since Easter Island does not have/the security and controlled environmental conditions/that the British Museum has,/the statue is safer in London. The statue can now be seen by many more people/than on a remote island. Scholars have easier access to the statue. Moreover,/some people argue/that the moai deserves to be a world heritage object.
These reasons make sense. However,/the fact remains/that Hoa Hakananai’a was taken without permission/and is still held against the people’s will. So, many people/—not only the Rapa Nui—/question the museum’s reasoning.
Critics say that/the real reason the British Museum refuses to return the Rapa Nui’s Lost Friend/is quite different.
Hoa Hakananai’a is not the only artwork/that was taken without permission. The British Museum got many of its artworks/during the colonial period/(the late 16th through the early 20th century). The list includes the Parthenon Marbles from Greece,/the Rosetta Stone from Egypt,/and the Benin Bronzes from present-day Nigeria. And then/there are some 23,000 Chinese artworks. The owners are asking for the return/of their stolen treasures. If the museum returns the Lost Friend,/it would set a precedent.
Museums all over the world/face similar problems. Who is the rightful owner of works of art/that are hundreds or even thousands of years old? These works are now part of our priceless world heritage. And even if the rightful owners can be found,/can they be trusted to keep these works safe? One can argue/that great art belongs to the entire world/and should be displayed/where it can be safely viewed/by the largest number of people.
However,/for the Rapa Nui people,/these questions are less important/than the simple human desire/to bring home their lost family member,/their Lost Friend.