We are working to rescue the Rapanui language through traditional ancestral disciplines. In addition to acquiring skills in each area, these classes have permitted us to make grand advances in the preservation of the language which is in danger of extinction. We believe a sustainable culture is one that lasts over time despite distinct changes and globalization.

Our students learn the Rapanui language through traditional Rapani  activities: ukulele, re’o riu (ancestral song), takona (body painting using ancestral technique, ori (Rapanui dance), hoko (ancestral dance) and maramarama tupuna workshops. The last activity, an innovative way of learning the Rapanui language, combines many cultural aspects. Students visit sites where experts discuss the historical information, legends, songs and body painting important to that site.   They also visit retirement homes where they socialize and learn from the elders (koro and nua).

Conscious of the precarious food situation on Rapa Nui where most items are brought from continental Chile at a high cost, we developed Toki’s Agricultural Program on a 1.5 hectare piece of land that we sowed using both ancestral Rapa techniques and the help of state of the art technology. We grew both traditional crops and others intended for mass consumption. They were generally sold on the island, permitting us to help  meet Toki ‘s expenses. We also donated to the vulnerable elderly community.  We shared our knowledge with members of the Rapan Nui community who have agricultural land and need help farming it.

Toki applied for the FIA with a project titled “Granja Organica de Toki” (Toki’s Organic Farm). It seeks to restore cultivation systems and rescue ancestral techniques that are seldom used now.

We combine them with state of the art technology to generate more andhigher quality products with fewer resources. We hope to form a seed bank which will permit us to protect traditional species and those that have not been genetically modified.

During July 2017 we and a group of young volunteers at Toki and their children participated in a practical intervention in the ancestral gardens in the Anakena sector. This activity was in the Rapanui language to help rescue it, as well as teach ancient and sustainable cultivation techniques.

Reforestation Sessions