document_title: List of Keys to the City in the United States

question_text: who has the key to the city of los angeles

question_tokens: who has the key to the city of los angeles

root

text: List of Keys to the City in the United States

text: Alabama[edit]

text: Huntsville[edit]

text:
July 12, 2013: Jase Robertson, star of reality TV series Duck Dynasty [1]
June 28, 2015: Microwave Dave (Gallaher) - North Alabama musician and music educator,[2]

tag: ul

text: Mobile[edit]

text:
Jaquiski Tartt July 12, 2016
An NFL player for the San Francisco 49ers. Camp for little kids.

tag: p

text:
Olabode Anise.
A Kappa. King of the Mobile Mardis Gras for 2017.

text: Alaska[edit]

text: Kodiak[edit]

text: July 30, 2012: Pitbull, rapper[3]

text: Wasilla[edit]

text: September 22, 2011: Landon Swank, illusionist  [4]

text: California[edit]

text: Beverly Hills[edit]

text: September 2, 2010: The Kardashian-Jenner family and Larry King were awarded the key to the city of Beverly Hills, the award date falling (by design) on a day designated by the City’s famous zip code, 90210.[5]

text: Compton[edit]

text: February 13, 2016: Mayor Aja Brown presented Kendrick Lamar with the key to the city.[6]

text: Corona[edit]

text: March 12, 2010: Scarlett's Magic, a Savannah cat owned by the Draper family (Leon S. Draper, Kimberly Saunders, Martin "Marty" Draper and Matthew "Matteo" Draper) was awarded the key to the city of Corona for being recognized in the 2011 Guinness Book of World Records as the World's Tallest Cat, measuring 45.9 centimeters (18.1 inches) from shoulder to toe.[citation needed]

text: Cypress[edit]

text:
After winning the 1994 U.S Amateur Title, Tiger Woods was presented the key to the city of Cypress, his hometown. The ceremony took place at Cypress Golf Club.
After being selected on the list of 100 most influential people in Orange County, Calif for 2015, 16 year old Dan Ta was presented the key to the city of Cypress, by Mayor Mariellen Yarc at the January 20, 2016 State of the City Luncheon in front of 300 local leaders.

text: Danville[edit]

text: January 16, 2009: Chesley B. Sullenberger III was awarded the keys to city of his hometown, Danville, for his actions in saving US Airways Flight 1549.[7][8]

text: Diamond Bar[edit]

text: On January 24, 2016, US Women's National Soccer Team star Alex Morgan was presented the key to the city of Diamond Bar, her hometown. The ceremony took place at local Pantera Park.

text: Indio[edit]

text:
2008: Mayor Lupe Ramos Watson presented to the Order of the Eastern Star California Worthy Grand Matron the key to the City of Indio for their 100 years of service to the community through volunteerism and unwavering commitment to life, liberty and the pursuit of justice.[citation needed]
2011: Mayor Lupē Ramos Watson presents Honorary Mayor Bob Ladiin for his commitment to the City through Volunteerism, Public Safety and Senior Citizen Advocacy.[citation needed]
2013: Mayor Elaine Holmes presents to Mr Alexander Haagan III the key to the City of Indio city for his long standing support of music the arts, culture and community events at his Empire Polo Grounds in Indio.[citation needed]
2015: Mayor Lupē Ramos Watson presents to the Order of the Eastern Star California Worthy Grand Matron the key to the City of Indio for their 100 plus years of service to the community through volunteerism and unwavering commitment to life, liberty and the pursuit of justice, and for their 70-year commitment to the City's longest standing community festival the Riverside County Fair and National Date Festival.[citation needed]

text: Lancaster[edit]

text: 04/30/2015:  During Tuesday evening’s City Council meeting, Mayor R. Rex Parris presented the Key to the City to Matt Anderson, who was recently named ‘Gateway Teacher of the Year’ by the esteemed national program ‘Project Lead the Way’ (PLTW). Mr. Anderson, a teacher at Joe Walker Middle School, teaches PLTW Gateway courses as part of the school’s Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) program.

text: “In recognition of your remarkable dedication and enthusiasm in helping to develop our region’s STEM program, and your commitment to serving the young people of our community, we are very proud to present you with the Key to the City, acknowledging your many outstanding achievements, including now being named the Teacher of the Year,” said Mayor Parris. “We know how important the STEM program is to our community, training intelligent young man and women to become engineers, scientists and mathematicians. The young adults whose lives you’ve touched truly represent our future here in the aerospace valley. Congratulations, Matt, on this very prestigious award.”

text: Project Lead the Way is the nation’s leader in K-12 STEM education programs. Each year, its annual California State Conference recognizes three educators throughout the state of California. The Gateway Teacher of the Year award is presented to an educator who instructs middle school students in STEM.

text: Anderson has been teaching at Joe Walker Middle School for more than twenty-five years. In addition to teaching, he coaches VEX Robotics and mentors Westside Union School District’s other PLTW programs. His students regard him not only as a role model and inspiration, but also a mentor who helps them succeed in the world of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

text: Long Beach[edit]

text: 27 February 1983: HM Queen Elizabeth II, Queen of the United Kingdom.[9]

text: Los Angeles[edit]

text:
2006: Twenty-seven Victoria's Secret Angels – including Gisele Bündchen, Adriana Lima, Alessandra Ambrosio, Karolina Kurkova, Selita Ebanks, and Izabel Goulart – were presented with a key to Hollywood by honorary mayor Johnny Grant in honor of the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show being held in Los Angeles for the first time.[citation needed]
August 7, 2009: Zooey Deschanel, Geoffrey Arend, Mark Waters and Jessica Tuchinsky, stars and producers of the 2009 film (500) Days of Summer, were awarded the key to Los Angeles for the film's inventive use of L.A. locations.[10]
2012: Lil' Kim received the key to the city before a performance in front of 50,000 at a LA Pride festival, for being a champion for her LGBT fans.[11]
May 11, 2013: 5th Caliph of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community Mirza Masroor Ahmad was awarded the key to the city at prestigious Montage Hotel.[12]
September 23, 2016: Los Angeles Dodgers announcer Vin Scully was awarded the key to the city during a pregame ceremony at Dodger Stadium.[citation needed]

text: Sacramento[edit]

text:
1966: Phil Givens, Mayor of Toronto.
11 September 2015: Spencer Stone, Hero of the 2015 Thalys train attack.
11 September 2015: Alek Skarlatos, Hero of the 2015 Thalys train attack.
11 September 2015: Anthony Sadler, Hero of the 2015 Thalys train attack.

text: San Francisco[edit]

text:
1916: Russian-born American businessman, candy-maker and inventor Sam Born was awarded the key to city for inventing a machine that mechanically inserted sticks into lollipops. Later, he went on to found the Just Born candy company in New York.[citation needed]
1963 Hong Kong music Composer/Violin player  尹自重 (Che Chung Wan, Wan-Chi Chung, Zheng Zhisheng) [14]
November 3, 2010: The San Francisco Giants were awarded the key to the city for winning the 2010 World Series.[15]
June 26, 2012: San Francisco Giants pitcher Matt Cain was given the key to the city in commemoration of the perfect game he pitched on June 13, 2012.[16]
September 29, 2012: Myanmar opposition leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi was given the key to the city at the San Francisco Bay Area, which is home to the third-largest Burmese community in the USA.[17]
October 31, 2012: The San Francisco Giants were awarded the key to city of San Francisco for winning the 2012 World Series.[18]
May 21, 2013: Stephen Curry, basketball player.[19]
October 31, 2014: The San Francisco Giants were awarded the key to city of San Francisco by Mayor Ed Lee for winning the 2014 World Series.
October 14, 2015: The Golden State Warriors were awarded the key to city of San Francisco by Mayor Ed Lee for winning the 2015 NBA Championship.[20]

text: Stockton[edit]

text: November 16, 2015: Stockton mayor Anthony Silva gave God the key to the city.[21]

text: Connecticut[edit]

text: Hartford[edit]

text:
May 2, 2011: Michael Wilson, Artistic Director, Hartford Stage Company [22]
August 10, 2013: Christopher Martin, Jamaican Singer/Songwriter [23]
February 15, 2014: John Leguizamo, Comedian and Actor [24]
June 10, 2014: Darko Tresnjak, Artistic Director, Recipient of the 2014 Tony Award [25]

text: Middletown[edit]

text: May 29, 2009: Joseph W. Waz, Jr., business executive and native son

text: New Britain[edit]

text: August 3, 2013: Ryszard Schnepf, Polish Ambassador to the U.S.[26]

text: District of Columbia[edit]

text: Washington[edit]

text:
2008: Alexander Ovechkin received the key of the city in honour of being the first player in NHL history to receive the most valuable player, outstanding player, top scorer, and goal scoring leader awards in the same season.[27]
2011: Lamont Peterson, American Boxer  [28]
2011: Raheem DeVaughn, American Singer
2016: Bryce Harper, Professional Baseball player[29]

text: Middle to late 1960's Belinda Yvonne Ferrell received the Key to Washington DC by then Mayor Walter E. Washington (the first mayor of the nation's capitol).

text: Florida[edit]

text: Atlantic Beach[edit]

text: July 13, 2018: Ambassador Otto F. von Feigenblatt, Ed.D. Ph.D., academic and public intellectual, received the Key to Atlantic Beach from Mayor Ellen Glasser. The Ceremony was held at City Hall and it was attended by local officials and by local law enforcement. [30]

text: Bradenton[edit]

text: Phil Givens

text: Cape Coral[edit]

text: December 13, 2015:  Jessica Lynch, Prisoner of War, Private First Class (2001 - 2003), was honored and presented with the key to the city of Cape Coral, Florida by Mayor Marni Sawicki at a private dinner held at the Southwest Florida Military Museum & Library with both special and surprise guests in attendance.  This was a private event closed to both the public and media.[31]

text: Clearwater[edit]

text:
Phil Givens
George Hill [32]
17 January 2012: Frank Crum  [33]
30 October 2013: Robert Engelman, Film Producer for Alcon Entertainment [34]

text: Doral[edit]

text: September 15, 2013: Henrique Capriles Radonski, Venezuelan opposition leader [35]

text: Dunedin[edit]

text: July 18, 2013: Lari White, country music artist [36]

text: Fort Myers[edit]

text: December 11, 2015:  Jessica Lynch, Prisoner of War, Private First Class (2001 - 2003), was honored and presented with the key to the city of Fort Myers, Florida by Mayor Randy Henderson in a ceremony held at Centennial Park.  Fort Myers police and firefighters also attended and made presentations of their own to her.  This was a public event open to both the public and media.[37]

text: Homestead[edit]

text: June 21, 2018: Ambassador Otto F. von Feigenblatt, Ed.D. Ph.D., academic and public intellectual, was honored and presented with the key to the city of Homestead by Florida Mayor Jeff Porter in a ceremony held at the City Hall. The Ceremony was attended by prominent community leaders and government officials. [38]

text: Key West[edit]

text:
December 20, 1955: Ethel Waters, singer and actress, was presented with the key to the city on the set of Carib Gold, a film in which she starred.[39]
December 28, 1955: Dwight D. Eisenhower, 34th President of the United States, received the key to the city during a 12-day vacation in Key West.[40]
May 22, 1956: Estes Kefauver, U.S. Senator, was given the key to the city while campaigning to be nominated the Democratic presidential candidate.[41]
February 23, 1957: Harry S. Truman, 33rd President of the United States, received the key to the city and was made honorary chairman of the board of county commissioners.[42]
July 14, 2004: Rosie O'Donnell, comedian and LGBT rights activist, was given the key to the city during the inaugural voyage of her cruise line, R Family Vacations.[43]

text: Lakeland[edit]

text: February 11, 1976: John McKay received the key to the city upon his appointment as head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.[44]

text: Miami[edit]

text:
2004: The mayors of Miami-Dade County and the city officially welcomed Shaquille O'Neal and presented him with the keys to the city before a press conference was held in the American Airlines Arena.[45]
August 9, 2004: Rap Superstar Lil' Kim was awarded the key to the city of Miami (her place of residence at the time) for her contributions to the world of Hip Hop.[46]
August 19, 2009: Miami Commissioner Thomas Regalado presented Armando Perez (aka Pitbull) with the key to the city during a morning ceremony.[47]
April 13, 2013: Mayor Matti Bower presented the Key to pop singer Adam Lambert for "being brave enough to be openly gay on American Idol."[48]
July 8, 2013: María Corina Machado, Venezuelan opposition leader [49]
August 20, 2013: José Sulaimán, president of the World Boxing Council [50]
September 15, 2013: Henrique Capriles Radonski, Venezuelan opposition leader [35]

text: North Miami[edit]

text:
November 19, 2012: Kim and Kourtney Kardashian, socialites, businesswomen, and models [51]
June 11, 2013: Gregory Toussaint, Pastor [52]

text: Ocala[edit]

text:
2 March 2007: John Travolta, American Actor
2 March 2007: Kelly Preston, American Actress
2017: A Day to Remember[53][54]

text: Orlando[edit]

text: 8 January 2018: 2017 UCF Knights football team[55]

text: Pensacola[edit]

text: 15 November 2016: Addison Russell, Professional Baseball Player for the World Series Champion Chicago Cubs.[56]

text: Sarasota[edit]

text: September 11, 2013: Diana Ross, singer and actress [57]

text: St. Petersburg[edit]

text: 1972: Phil Givens

text: Tampa[edit]

text: January 28, 2003: Jon Gruden, head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, received the key to the city following the Buccaneers' Super Bowl XXXVII victory.[58]

text: Georgia[edit]

text: Franklin Springs[edit]

text: 2007: The Governor of Georgia, Sonny Perdue, received the key to the city of Franklin Springs after visiting the city and cutting the ribbon to the city's new Public Safety and City Hall buildings; the original buildings were destroyed in 2004 by Hurricane Ivan.[citation needed]

text: Milton[edit]

text: 2007: The original Governor's Commission for the City of Milton (Ron Wallace, Brandon Beach, Gregory Mishkin, Dan Phalan and Cecil Pruitt) was awarded the key to the city of Milton in recognition of their work in the creation of the city. They were also presented a proclamation that officially declares December 1 as "Commissioning Day" in honor of their achievements and recognizes the five men as the "Founding Fathers" of the City.[citation needed]

text: Hawaii[edit]

text: Honolulu[edit]

text: 12 December 2014: Michelle Wie, American Golfer.[59]

text: Illinois[edit]

text: Chicago[edit]

text:
December 30, 1871: Grand Duke Alexei Alexandrovich of Russia received the "Freedom of the City of Chicago".[60]
June 26, 1933: Residents of the Midget Village at the Century of Progress World's Fair were presented with a key to the City of Chicago by Mayor Edward Joseph Kelly.[61]
August 17, 1970: As part of Chicago's Lakefront Festival, Mayor Richard J. Daley awarded a key to the City of Chicago to Edward Stein, who had emerged from the Chicago River dressed as Neptune to lead a parade.[62]
May 1985: Jean McFadden, leader of the Glasgow District Council was presented a key to the City of Chicago by Joel Hall as part of Glasgow's Mayfest [63]
April 21, 1988: Michael Jackson was awarded the Key to the City by Eugene Sawyer.[64]
March 20, 1990: Audrey Hepburn was presented with a key to the City of Chicago by Mayor Richard M. Daley.[65]
October 12, 1990: Sophia Loren was presented with a key to the City of Chicago by Mayor Richard M. Daley.[66]
1996: The famous Lebanese Arab singer Najwa Karam was presented with the Key to the City of Chicago.[67]

text: North Chicago[edit]

text: July 11, 2011: Shawn Marion, basketball player with the Dallas Mavericks, was awarded the key to the city following the Mavericks' victory at the 2011 NBA Finals.[68]

text: Springfield[edit]

text: March 11, 2015: Mayor J. Michael Houston awarded the Key to the City to Cobra Commander from G.I. Joe in honor of the G.I. JoeCon convention taking place the following month.[69]

text: Bensenville[edit]

text: June 22, 2018:  Village President Frank DeSimone, Village Manager Evan K. Summers, and Chief of Police Frank Kosman, presented Keys to the Village to Cónsul General Billy Adolfo José Muñoz Miranda and Vice Cónsul Brenda Paz de Ghassemi from the Consulate General of Guatemala.[70]

text: Indiana[edit]

text: Indianapolis[edit]

text: July 17, 2015: Reggie Wayne, wide receiver for the Indianapolis Colts NFL football team receives a key to the city of Indianapolis [71]

text: Iowa[edit]

text: Des Moines[edit]

text: 21 October 2006: Bill Bryson, Author  [72]

text: Kentucky[edit]

text: Bowling Green[edit]

text: August 26, 2004: Dionne Warwick, singer, received the key to the city prior to her appearance at an Athena Cage concert.[73]

text: Louisville[edit]

text:
1975: Helen Humes, musician, received the key to the city for her extensive musical career.[74]
Frederick Cease, soldier, received the key to the city at some point in the 1990s for his extensive military service.[75]
July, 2000: Nancy Johnson Barker, singer, received the key to the city after the 25th anniversary of the Kentucky Music Weekend Festival.[76]
2002: Ivor Chodkowski, farmer, received the key to the city for working to start a farmer's market in Louisville's "food desert."[77]
September 24, 2002: Montgomery Gentry, musician, received the key to the city for his musical career.[78]
January 2010: Sam Leist, lawyer, received the key to the city for his career in public service.[79]
March 12, 2016: Bryson Tiller, singer, received the key to the city by the city's mayor, Greg Fischer, as well as a holiday on March 12, called "Bryson Tiller Day." This all occurred at his T R A P S O U L concert.[80]
April 5, 2016: Awadeya Mahmoud, human rights worker, received the key to the city by Greg Fischer, upon her receiving the International Women of Courage Award.[81]
June 29, 2016: John Rabun, social worker, received the key to the city by Greg Fischer, for his work as the head of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.[82]
January 10, 2017: Bob Beatty, American football Coach, received the key to the city by Greg Fischer, after winning Trinity High School's 24th state football title.[83]

text: Louisiana[edit]

text: Baton Rouge[edit]

text: 14 February 2013: David Mastrianni, American Lunatic  [84]

text: Sometime in 1993: David Craig Mastrianni, American Lunatic, All around crazy motherfucker

text:
On a cold winter evening, in 1993, month unknown, David Craig Mastrianni, known to his close personal friends as the Maestro, or Precious, set out on a walk-about through downtown Baton Rouge. With his tight pants and leather jacket, Precious strolled through some of the roughest and toughest parts of downtown Baton Rouge. At 3:23am, Precious heard the voice of God. It wasn't a strong voice, like one would expect to hear from God, but more of a soft whisper, like the whisper of a lover in your ear in the early morning hours when she tells you that the bacon is ready. The voice said the Precious, go North. Still tripping from LSD, Precious went south, then west, then east, then south again, then North. He ended up in the red light district. No stranger to strange, Precious was home. He was bouncing in and out of the bars and clubs like a pinball. The voice rang out again, "David, get it together!" He understood.
As he began to walk further, the hair on his back started to stand. it was his spidey senses, they were tingling. He looked down and realized he was peeing on an electrified fence post.
He continued on his quest, searching further and further, deeper and longer; for what was the voice leading him to?! Nearly giving up all hope of every understanding the voices in his head, he turned one last corner. He sat squarely on the ground, hands covering his face and decided to give up. He couldn't grasp what the voice was telling him. Then, he heard a faint cry for help. This was a real voice, not just in his head. He was sure. He leaped to his feet and began walking as fast as his tight pants would allow. HELP! The cries got louder. SOMEONE PLEASE HELP! He was certain he was close. Down an alley, across the street, up a fire exit, to the roof of a 12 story building, Precious sprang to action. Leaping from building to building as the cries got closer and closer; and there it was. A Baton Rouge City police officer whaling. Precious, with his underwear now on the outside of his pants, rushed to the officer's aid. "WHAT IS IT FINE SIR" , precious asked as he laid on the ground at the officer's side.
"It's an unspeakable tradgedy" the officer quipped.
"I'm trained for these situations", responded the eager to assist Precious
"They're .. " the officer said, as his voice crackled from raw emotion
"THEY"RE WHAT" demanded Precious
"They're out of glaze" the officer finally bemoaned as he then fainted to the ground from pure exhaustion.

text: David, knowing this officer's future, career and blood glucose level were now on the line, sprung to his feet and began sending smoke signals to his dear friend Sean Fairburn, the first Marine in History to earn an Emmy. Sean was busy. He didn't have time for David's shit. Fearing the worst, David took hold of the officer's radio and began shouting that an officer was down. He needed glaze and he needed it now.

text: Well, that's all it took. Within the next 15 seconds, every law enforcement resource was converging on his location from every corner of the city. City Police, LSP, East Baton Rouge Sheriff's, Mounted patrol, air units, even parking officials. It was a sight to be seen. Each of them running code 3 to get to their fallen brother; all with a dozen glazed donuts in hand. The helicopter got their first. Landed right smack dab in the middle of Airline highway. The pilot, with the blades still whirling, lept from the cockpit, donut in hand and rushed over to David and the fallen officer. Knowing he couldn't make it in time, the pilot threw the donut through the air, while yelling to David.

text: This is the moment David waited his entire life for. He was never one for sports, but he knew if he didn't catch this flying donut, he fate would be sealed. With one arm wrapped around the officer, and the other working on an artistic masterpiece, David did a back-wards handstand, kicking the donut with his left foot. It bounced off the back of a stray cat, hit a dingo and rolled towards him, (chopper pilot still running in slow-mo in the background). As if the hand of God was moving the rolling donut, it avoided three pot holes, three crackheads, two armadillos and a partridege in a pear tree. Like something from a Hollywood blockbuster, the donut rolled right into the open mouth of the downed police officer, still passed out on the ground. David began forcing the donut down the throat of our downed hero until he gasped for air. HE IS RISEN! David proclaimed, as 452 lawmen and women converged. IT IS A MIRACLE! He proudly exclaimed.

text: 42.34 days later, David was awarded the key to the city for his heroic actions that night. 2 days later, he brought a lawsuit against the city because the key actually didn't open anything and that violated his civil rights.

text: New Orleans[edit]

text:
November 21, 2006: Kentucky-New Orleans Architecture Studio was awarded the key to the city of New Orleans for its work on restoration and re-design efforts of Mickey Markey Park in Bywater.[85]
April 26, 2007: The Harris County Hospital District was awarded the key to the city in recognition of its efforts to provide health care to Hurricane Katrina evacuees at its Astrodome Clinic in September 2005.[86]
June 2008: Atlanta native, R&B Singer  Usher awarded the key to the city for his effort and dedication to help rebuild New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina.[87]
September 25, 2011: Former New Orleans Saints safety Steve Gleason was granted the key to the city for his blocked punt against the Atlanta Falcons in the Saints' first home game after Hurricane Katrina.[88]

text: Maine[edit]

text: Portland[edit]

text:
July 13, 2008: moe., a band from upstate New York, was presented the key to the city in recognition of a two-day fundraising concert they organised for the Preble Street Resource Center.[89]
June 13, 2014: Evander Holyfield, American Boxer  [90]

text: Maryland[edit]

text: Baltimore[edit]

text: September 10, 2012: Keys to the city were awarded to eight athletes who competed in the 2012 Summer Olympics: swimmers Michael Phelps(Key revoked 2014) and Katie Ledecky, rower David Banks, windsurfer Farrah Hall, cyclist Bobby Lea, field hockey player Katie O'Donnell, kayaker Scott Parsons, and modern pentathlete Suzanne Stettinius.[91]

text: Massachusetts[edit]

text: Brockton[edit]

text: September 29, 1980: Boxer Marvin Hagler was crowned World Middleweight Champion of September 27, and received the key to the city on his return to his hometown.[92]

text: Holyoke[edit]

text: July 21, 1909: Mayor Nathan P. Avery awarded Joseph Lewis Wyckoff the Key to the City, "through whose militant energy the boundaries of their city were so extended by the Legislature of 1909 as to include within them not only himself but the whole of the ancient hamlet known as Smith's Ferry."[93]

text: April 27th, 2018: Mayor Alex B. Morse presented Carmen Yulín Cruz the Key to the City to honor that "in such a time of despair [she] provided a beacon of hope and opportunity for Puerto Ricans".[94]

text: Worcester[edit]

text: July 8, 2017: Mayor of Worcester Joseph Petty presented Shatta Wale with the key to the City, in recognition of his contributions to the arts and for honoring the city of Worcester, Massachusetts with his presence.[95]"

text: Michigan[edit]

text: Albion[edit]

text: 1960s: Ann Landers received the key to the city of Albion upon her visit to Starr Commonwealth for Boys.[96]

text: Detroit[edit]

text:
Annually: Santa Claus is presented with the Key to the City during each America's Thanksgiving Parade.
September 26, 1974: Stevie Wonder, renowned Motown recording artist was awarded a key to the city by then Mayor Coleman Young.[97]
1980: Saddam Hussein, Iraqi President at that time, was awarded the key to the city by Mayor Coleman Young, for having donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to a local church.[98][99]
January 31, 2006: Detroit native Jerome Bettis was awarded the key to the city by Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick days before his Super Bowl win.[100][101]
January 2, 2007: Steve Yzerman received the key to the city after his retirement and having his jersey retired.[102]
January 27, 2010: Elmo received the key to the city from Mayor David Bing during a visit with kids at Children's Hospital of Michigan.[103]
April 1, 2017: Big Sean received the key to the city from Mayor Mike Duggan for setting up a foundation called "Mogul Prep" that teaches kids all the behind the scenes jobs available in the music industry.</ref>

text: June, 2018: Jackson 5 members, Michael, Tito, Jackie, Jermaine & Marlon were honored with keys to the city at the Detroit Weekend Music Festival.

text: Flint[edit]

text:
1976: Jackie Moon received the key to the city of Flint, Michigan for masterminding the Flint Tropics to the Flint Michigan MegaBowl
1989: Lois M. Craig received the key to the city of Flint.[104]
June 10, 2007: American Idol finalist LaKisha Jones received a proclamation and key to the city from Mayor Don Williamson.[105]

text: Sault Sainte Marie[edit]

text: July 22, 2007 Kiss (band) received the key to the city of Sault Ste Marie

text: Nevada[edit]

text: Fernley[edit]

text: August 2012: Jacob Dalton, American Olympic Gymnast (2012).[107]

text: Las Vegas[edit]

text:
1999: Lebanese recording artist Fairuz  received the key to the city of Las Vegas [108]
2012: Lebanese recording artist Nancy Ajram received the key to the city of Las Vegas.[109]
2014: On November 5, American singer Britney Spears was honored, and received the key to the city of Las Vegas.[110]
2015: professional baseball players Bryce Harper and Kris Bryant received keys to the city  of Las Vegas
2016: Professional DJ, record producer, radio personality, and record label executive DJ Khaled received keys to the city of Las Vegas
2016: Property Brothers, Jonathan and Drew Scott earn receive keys to the city of Las Vegas after their contributions towards charity
2017: On September 3, Ultralight Team members and creators of Bats & Butterflies LV, Anthony C. Flores and Isaiah J. LaBelle received keys to the city of Las Vegas
2018: On July 6th, UFC president Dana White received keys to the city of Las Vegas [111]

text: New Jersey[edit]

text: Atlantic City[edit]

text: June 21, 2013: Mallory Hagan, winner of Miss America 2013 [112]

text: Hoboken[edit]

text:
October 30, 1947: Frank Sinatra, American Singer and Actor.
July 6, 1998: Aaron Rosa, drummer of the rock band Palisades.

text: Jersey City[edit]

text: March 17, 1961: Brendan Behan, Irish playwright and author, received the keys to Jersey City from Mayor Charles Witkowski.[113]

text: Newark[edit]

text: 2016: Professor Don Jacob, Martial Artist, Grandmaster

text: Paterson[edit]

text:
April 15, 2012: Victor Cruz (American football) of the New York Giants was awarded the key to the city of Paterson for his role in the Super Bowl XLVI victory over the New England Patriots.
August 28, 2015: Rapper Fetty Wap was given the key to the city of his hometown Paterson, New Jersey by Mayor Jose "Joey" Torres.[114]
June 1, 2018: US Senator Cory Booker was given the key to the city of Paterson by Mayor Jane Williams-Warren for his service to the state of New Jersey.

text: New York[edit]

text: Buffalo[edit]

text:
May 19, 2009: Terrell Owens received the key to the city of Buffalo with the provisions that he catch a minimum of 10 touchdown passes for the Buffalo Bills and lead the team into the NFL Playoffs.[115] He only caught five touchdowns, the Bills failed to make the playoffs, and Owens was released at the end of the 2009 season.
November 6, 2014: Terrence Pegula received the key to the city of Buffalo, as a result of his purchase of the Buffalo Sabres, Buffalo Bills and Buffalo Bandits professional sports teams and his construction of the HarborCenter complex.[116]

text: Mount Vernon[edit]

text: John J. McGrath, American Businessman.

text: New York[edit]

text:
June 27, 1702: Viscount Cornbury was presented the "Freedom of the City".[117]
September 1735: Andrew Hamilton received the "Freedom of the City" for his defence of John Peter Zenger.[118][self-published source]
February 25, 1902: Prince Henry of Prussia was presented the Freedom of the City during a visit to New York.[119]
1927: The aviator Charles Lindbergh was awarded the key to the city following his record-breaking non-stop flight from New York to Paris.[120]
February 5, 2008: The New York Giants players, coaches and owners received keys to the city in recognition of their victory at Super Bowl XLII. Presentation took place at City Hall after a ticker-tape parade up the Canyon of Heroes in lower Manhattan.[121]
February 9, 2009: Chesley B. Sullenberger III received the key to the city for safely landing US Airways Flight 1549 in the Hudson River after mid-air faults from a bird collision, saving the lives of all 155 people on board. The First Officer of the Flight, Jeffrey B. Skiles, and flight attendants Sheila Dail, Doreen Welsh and Donna Dent also received keys to the city.[7]
May 8, 2009: Captain Richard Phillips and crewman William Rios received keys to the city in recognition of their heroism aboard the Maersk Alabama during the 2009 hijacking by Somali pirates.[122][123]
November 6, 2009: The New York Yankees players, coaches and owners received keys to the city in recognition of their 2009 World Series victory.[124]
October 14, 2010: Ralph Lauren received a key for his philanthropic and economic contributions to the city.[125]
November 18, 2011: Regis Philbin received a key to the city to honor his twenty-eight year contribution to New York media.[126]
February 7, 2012: The New York Giants players, coaches and owners received keys to the city in recognition of their victory at Super Bowl XLVI. Presentation took place at City Hall after a ticker-tape parade up the Canyon of Heroes in lower Manhattan.[127]
July 10, 2015: The United States Women's National Soccer Team players and coaches received keys to the city in recognition of their 2015 Women's World Cup victory.[128] The parade was organized on short notice and was the first ticker-tape parade in New York City to honor female athletes since Olympic Athletes in 1984.[129]
January 9, 2016: Ray Pfeifer FDNY Firefighter receives the Key to the City of New York for his work to help secure health care for over 80,000 9/11/01 first responders. The James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act was signed into law on December 18, 2015
March 2, 2016: Rapper Foxy Brown was honored by Mayor Bill de Blasio and awarded the Key to the City.[130][131]
June 12, 2017: Rapper Fabolous was awarded the Key to the City of New York during a concert in Brooklyn's Barclays Center.[132]

text: Rochester[edit]

text:
June 3, 2013: The Rochester Knighthawks, a professional lacrosse team [133]
April 23, 2016: Beverly Bond,  producer, writer, serial entrepreneur, philanthropist and celebrity DJ, received a key to the city for her contribution to the African American community by empowering and positively impacting the lives of young Black girls through her organization-Black Girls Rock!

text: Binghamton[edit]

text: August 12, 2007: Dusan Vemic, a professional tennis player on the ATP world tour was given a key to the city in recognition of his fair play and contribution to the sport.

text: North Carolina[edit]

text: Wilmington[edit]

text: June 20, 2013: Stephen King, author, was awarded the Key to the City at an advance screening of the CBS series Under the Dome, based on a novel by King.[134]

text: High Point[edit]

text:
Billy Quick, a High Point native and a Special Olympics athlete and ambassador.[135]
October 13, 2017: Kathy Ireland, American model and actress, turned author and entrepreneur; received the key from High Point mayor Bill Bencini.[136]

text: Ohio[edit]

text: Akron[edit]

text: May 28, 2016: Mark Mothersbaugh, artist and Devo founder, was awarded the key to the city during a ceremony at the Akron-Summit County Public Library.[137]

text: Columbus[edit]

text: May 26, 2005: Fatty Koo, singers songwriter Music group

text: Toledo[edit]

text: May 13, 2010: Crystal Bowersox, singer-songwriter and actress, was given the key to the city after reaching the finals of American Idol.[138]

text: Cincinnati[edit]

text:
2015: Cate Blanchett, Australian Actress.
2015: Rooney Mara, American Actress.
2015: Christine Vachon, American Film Producer.
2015: Sir Elton John CBE, British Singer.
2015: Lionel Richie, American Singer.
2015: Jennifer Hudson, American Actress and Singer.
2015: Carl Hilding Severinsen, American Musician and Bandleader on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.
2015: Drew Lachey, American Singer.
2015: Nick Lachey, American Singer.
2018: Jack White, American musician.

text: Cleveland[edit]

text:
1968: B.B. King, American blues singer, guitarist, songwriter, and record producer
Pelé, Brazilian Football Player.
June 16, 2011:
Betty White, Actress
Wendie Malick, Actress
Jane Leeves, Actress
Valerie Bertinelli, Actress

text: Cast Members of TV Show Hot in Cleveland [1]

text:
November 5, 2011: Aretha Franklin, American Singer.[140]
July 17, 2015: Mickey Bey, IBF Lightweight Boxing Champion.[141]

text: Oklahoma[edit]

text: Tulsa[edit]

text:
March 18, 2010: Robert Meachem, NFL Football Player.[142]
June  27, 2017: Iesha-LaShay Phillips received a key to the city of Tulsa, OK for addressing societal issues and trying to better her city. Mayor Bynum also declared June 27th “Iesha Phillips Day” in Tulsa, Oklahoma. [143][144]

text: Tennessee[edit]

text: Dayton[edit]

text: July 21, 1960: John T. Scopes was given the key to the city on the 35th anniversary of the Scopes Trial, in which he had been found guilty of teaching evolution in a Tennessee school.[145]

text: Elizabethton[edit]

text: June 21, 2013: Jason Witten, American football player [146]

text: Memphis[edit]

text: February 15, 2011: Grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura received the key to the city of Memphis for his supertournament victory at the 2011 Tata Steel Chess Tournament in Wijk aan Zee.[147]

text: Nashville[edit]

text: John Glenn, American Astronaut and United States Senator.  [148]

text: Texas[edit]

text: Austin[edit]

text: May 3, 1901: President William McKinley received the key to Austin, Texas from Mayor R.F White.

text: Denison[edit]

text: 1952: Presidential candidate General Dwight D. Eisenhower received the key to his birthplace city from Mayor Alfred Cecil "Mike" Casey.

text: Missouri City, TX[edit]

text:
March 2, 2015 Johnnie Moutra III (Johnny Long), nationally known for co-hosting Jimmy Kimmel Live at his home & winning the grand prize on ABC's hit reality TV show "Here Come The Newlyweds," was awarded key to the city by Mayor Allen Owen for the national recognition he continues to bring to the city.
February 10, 2018: Missouri City native rapper Travis Scott was awarded the key by Mayor Allen Owen as a part of the city's annual Black History Month Celebration of Culture and Music.[149]

text: Dallas[edit]

text:
December 13, 2009: M. K. Asante was awarded the key to the city of Dallas by Mayor Pro Tem Dwaine Caraway for his work as an author, filmmaker, and professor.[150]
February 6, 2011: Michael Vick, quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles, was awarded the key to the city of Dallas by Mayor Pro Tem Dwaine Caraway; this proved controversial, as Vick had previously served time in prison for his involvement with an illegal dog-fighting ring.[151]

text: Houston[edit]

text:
1990: Maria de Guadalupe Butron Pereda, M.D., professor at the Universidad Veracruzana of Mexico, was awarded the key to the city of Houston for her humanitarian work.[citation needed]
2000: Pramukh Swami Maharaj 5th Spiritual leader of BAPS.[152]
Selena Quintanilla was awarded the Key to the city of Houston on April 16, 1994. This was her 23rd Birthday, less than a year before her untimely death.[153]
Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin has been awarded the Key of Houston.
February 15, 2013: Yao Ming was awarded the key to the city of Houston.[154]
October 23, 2015: Mufaddal Saifuddin has been awarded the Key of Houston by Mayor Annise Parker.
March 23, 2016: Marvin Odum, retiring President of Shell Oil Company, was awarded the keys to the city by Mayor Sylvester Turner.  Odum was a true philanthropist and man of the people, steering the ship through the treacherous waters of $100+ oil.

text: Irving[edit]

text:
July 19, 2013: Mike and Bob Bryan, twin brothers and professional tennis players [155]
August 20, 2017: Mahant Swami Maharaj, Hindu swami and 6th Spiritual leader of BAPS.

text: Mansfield[edit]

text: June 6, 2013: Tony Kanaan, race car driver [156]

text: Kingsville[edit]

text: Pedro Diaz De Leon SR.

text: Utah[edit]

text: West Valley City[edit]

text: July 27, 2011: Halaevalu Mata'aho 'Ahome'e, HM The Queen Mother of Tonga

text: Ogden[edit]

text: June 15, 2013: Damian Lillard, basketball player [157]

text: Kaysville City[edit]

text: May 31, 2017: Lincoln and Dan Markham, YouTube stars[158]

text: Virginia[edit]

text: Roanoke[edit]

text: May 4, 2016: George Takei was given the Key to the City by Mayor David A. Bowers [159]

text: Washington[edit]

text: Bremerton[edit]

text: Sept, 2006: MxPx was given the keys to the city of Bremerton by Mayor Cary Bozeman.[160]

text: Spokane[edit]

text:
June 9, 1948: Harry S. Truman, 33rd President of the United States, stopped at Spokane while campaigning for re-election, and was given the key to the city.[161]
1980: Ted Nugent, Rock musician, stopped in Spokane during a concert tour, and was given the key to the city by then-mayor Ron Bair.[162]

text: Wisconsin[edit]

text: Green Bay[edit]

text: August 10, 2016: Rock band Kiss played at the Resch Center on the Freedom to Rock Tour. During the encore, they were presented the key to the city by Mayor Jim Schmitt.[163]


document_title: Easter Island

question_text: why do they call easter island easter island

question_tokens: why do they call easter island easter island

text: Easter Island

text: Name[edit]

text: The name "Easter Island" was given by the island's first recorded European visitor, the Dutch explorer Jacob Roggeveen, who encountered it on Easter Sunday (5 April) in 1722, while searching for Davis or David's island. Roggeveen named it Paasch-Eyland (18th-century Dutch for "Easter Island").[9][10] The island's official Spanish name, Isla de Pascua, also means "Easter Island".

text: The current Polynesian name of the island, Rapa Nui ("Big Rapa"), was coined after the slave raids of the early 1860s, and refers to the island's topographic resemblance to the island of Rapa in the Bass Islands of the Austral Islands group.[11] However, Norwegian ethnographer Thor Heyerdahl argued that Rapa was the original name of Easter Island and that Rapa Iti was named by refugees from there.[12]

text: The phrase Te pito o te henua has been said to be the original name of the island since French ethnologist Alphonse Pinart gave it the romantic translation "the Navel of the World" in his Voyage à l'Île de Pâques, published in 1877.[13] William Churchill (1912) inquired about the phrase and was told that there were three te pito o te henua, these being the three capes (land's ends) of the island. The phrase appears to have been used in the same sense as the designation of "Land's End" at the tip of Cornwall. He was unable to elicit a Polynesian name for the island itself, and concluded that there may not have been one.[14]

text: According to Barthel (1974), oral tradition has it that the island was first named Te pito o te kainga a Hau Maka "The little piece of land of Hau Maka".[15] However, there are two words pronounced pito in Rapa Nui, one meaning 'end' and one 'navel', and the phrase can thus also mean "the Navel of the World". Another name, Mata ki te rangi, means "Eyes looking to the sky".[16]

text: Islanders are referred to in Spanish as pascuense; however it is common to refer to members of the indigenous community as Rapa Nui.

text: History[edit]

text: This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (April 2017) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

tag: table

text:
Easter Island

UNESCO World Heritage Site

Official name
Rapa Nui National Park

Location
Chile, Easter Island Province, Easter Island Commune, Chile

Coordinates
27°07′10″S 109°21′17″W / 27.1194°S 109.3547°W / -27.1194; -109.3547

Area
164 km2 (1.77×109 sq ft)

Criteria
i, iii, v

Reference
715

Inscription
1995 (19th Session)

Website
www.municipalidaddeisladepascua.cl

[edit on Wikidata]

text: Estimated dates of initial settlement of Easter Island have ranged from 300 to 1200 AD, approximately coinciding with the arrival of the first settlers in Hawaii. Rectifications in radiocarbon dating have changed almost all of the previously posited early settlement dates in Polynesia. Rapa Nui is now considered to have been settled in the narrower range of 700 to 1100 AD. Ongoing archaeological studies suggest a still-later date: "Radiocarbon dates for the earliest stratigraphic layers at Anakena, Easter Island, and analysis of previous radiocarbon dates imply that the island was colonized late, about 1200 AD. Significant ecological impacts and major cultural investments in monumental architecture and statuary thus began soon after initial settlement."[17][18]

text: According to oral tradition, the first settlement was at Anakena. Researchers have noted that the Caleta Anakena landing point provides the island's best shelter from prevailing swells as well as a sandy beach for canoe landings and launchings so it appeals as a likely early place of settlement. However, this conclusion contradicts radiocarbon dating, according to which other sites preceded Anakena by many years, especially the Tahai, whose radiocarbon dates precede Anakena's by several centuries.

text: The island was most likely populated by Polynesians who navigated in canoes or catamarans from the Gambier Islands (Mangareva, 2,600 km (1,600 mi) away) or the Marquesas Islands, 3,200 km (2,000 mi) away. According to some theories, such as the Polynesian Diaspora Theory, there is a possibility that early Polynesian settlers arrived from South America due to their remarkable sea-navigation abilities. Theorists have supported this through the agricultural evidence of the sweet potato. The sweet potato was a favoured crop found among Polynesian society for generations. However, the origins of the sweet potato trace back to South America, proving evidence of interaction at some point in time between these two geographic areas.[19] When James Cook visited the island, one of his crew members, a Polynesian from Bora Bora, Hitihiti, was able to communicate with the Rapa Nui.[20]:296-297 The language most similar to Rapa Nui is Mangarevan, with an estimated 80 percent similarity in vocabulary. In 1999, a voyage with reconstructed Polynesian boats was able to reach Easter Island from Mangareva in 19 days.[21]

text: According to oral traditions recorded by missionaries in the 1860s, the island originally had a strong class system, with an ariki, or high chief, wielding great power over nine other clans and their respective chiefs. The high chief was the eldest descendent through first-born lines of the island's legendary founder, Hotu Matu'a. The most visible element in the culture was the production of massive statues called moai that some believe represented deified ancestors. According to National Geographic, "Most scholars suspect that the moai were created to honor ancestors, chiefs, or other important personages, However, no written and little oral history exists on the island, so it’s impossible to be certain."[23]

text: It was believed that the living had a symbiotic relationship with the dead in which the dead provided everything that the living needed (health, fertility of land and animals, fortune etc.) and the living, through offerings, provided the dead with a better place in the spirit world. Most settlements were located on the coast and most moai were erected along the coastline, watching over their descendants in the settlements before them, with their backs toward the spirit world in the sea.

text: Jared Diamond suggested that cannibalism took place on Easter Island after the construction of the moai contributed to environmental degradation when extreme deforestation destabilized an already precarious ecosystem.[24] Archeological record shows that at the time of the initial settlement the island was home to many species of trees, including at least three species which grew up to 15 metres (49 ft) or more: Paschalococos – possibly the largest palm trees in the world at the time, Alphitonia zizyphoides, and Elaeocarpus rarotongensis, as well as at least six species of native land birds. A major factor that contributed to the extinction of multiple plant species was the introduction of the Polynesian rat. Studies by paleobotanists have shown rats can dramatically affect the reproduction of vegetation in an ecosystem. In the case of Rapa Nui, recovered plant shell seeds showed markings of being gnawed on by rats.[4] Barbara A. West wrote, "Sometime before the arrival of Europeans on Easter Island, the Rapanui experienced a tremendous upheaval in their social system brought about by a change in their island's ecology... By the time of European arrival in 1722, the island's population had dropped to 2,000–3,000 from a high of approximately 15,000 just a century earlier."[25]

text: By that time, 21 species of trees and all species of land birds became extinct through some combination of overharvesting/overhunting, rat predation, and climate change. The island was largely deforested, and it did not have any trees more than 3 metres (10 feet) tall. Loss of large trees meant that residents were no longer able to build seaworthy vessels, significantly diminishing their fishing abilities. One theory regarding the deforestation that caused such ecological and social damage was that the trees were used as rollers to move the statues to their place of erection from the quarry at Rano Raraku.[26] Deforestation also affected agricultural production on Rapa Nui. At first, the native tropical forests provided ideal shade cover for soil. But with many of the native forest being destroyed, the topsoil became eroded causing a sharp decline in agricultural production.[4] This was further exacerbated by the loss of land birds and the collapse in seabird populations as a potential source of food. By the 18th century, residents of the island were largely sustained by farming, with domestic chickens as the primary source of protein.[27]

text: As the island became overpopulated and resources diminished, warriors known as matatoa gained more power and the Ancestor Cult ended, making way for the Bird Man Cult. Beverly Haun wrote, "The concept of mana (power) invested in hereditary leaders was recast into the person of the birdman, apparently beginning circa 1540, and coinciding with the final vestiges of the moai period."[28] This cult maintained that, although the ancestors still provided for their descendants, the medium through which the living could contact the dead was no longer statues, but human beings chosen through a competition. The god responsible for creating humans, Makemake, played an important role in this process. Katherine Routledge, who systematically collected the island's traditions in her 1919 expedition,[29] showed that the competitions for Bird Man (Rapanui: tangata manu) started around 1760, after the arrival of the first Europeans, and ended in 1878, with the construction of the first church by Roman Catholic missionaries who formally arrived in 1864. Petroglyphs representing Bird Men on Easter Island are exactly the same as some in Hawaii, indicating that this concept was probably brought by the original settlers; only the competition itself was unique to Easter Island.

text: According to Diamond and Heyerdahl's version of the island's history, the huri mo'ai—"statue-toppling"—continued into the 1830s as a part of fierce internal wars. By 1838 the only standing moai were on the slopes of Rano Raraku, in Hoa Hakananai'a in Orongo, and Ariki Paro in Ahu Te Pito Kura. A study headed by Douglas Owsley published in 1994 asserted that there is little archaeological evidence of pre-European societal collapse. Bone pathology and osteometric data from islanders of that period clearly suggest few fatalities can be attributed directly to violence.[30]

text: The first-recorded European contact with the island was on 5 April (Easter Sunday), 1722, when Dutch navigator Jacob Roggeveen[20] visited the island for a week and estimated a population of 2,000 to 3,000 inhabitants. The number may have been greater, since some may have been frightened into hiding by a misunderstanding that led Roggeveen's men to fire on the natives, killing more than a dozen and wounding several more.

text: The next foreign visitors (on 15 November 1770) were two Spanish ships, San Lorenzo and Santa Rosalia, under the command of Captain Don Felipe Gonzalez.[20]:238,504 The Spanish reported the island as largely uncultivated, whose seashore was lined with stone statues.

text: Four years later, in 1774, British explorer James Cook visited Easter Island; he reported that some statues had been toppled. Through the interpretation of Hitihiti, Cook learned the statues commemorated their former high chiefs, including their names and ranks.[20]:296-297 The British ship HMS Blossom arrived in 1825 and reported seeing no standing statues. Easter Island was approached many times during the 19th century, but by then the islanders had become openly hostile to any attempt to land, and very little new information was reported before the 1860s.

text: 19th century[edit]

text: A series of devastating events killed or removed most of the population in the 1860s. In December 1862, Peruvian slave raiders struck. Violent abductions continued for several months, eventually capturing around 1,500 men and women, half of the island's population.[31] Among those captured were the island's paramount chief, his heir, and those who knew how to read and write the rongorongo script, the only Polynesian script to have been found to date. (Although serious debate exists about whether this is proto-writing or true writing.)

text: When the slave raiders were forced to repatriate the people they had kidnapped, carriers of smallpox disembarked together with a few survivors on each of the islands.[32] This created devastating epidemics from Easter Island to the Marquesas islands.[citation needed] Easter Island's population was reduced to the point where some of the dead were not even buried.[citation needed]

text: Tuberculosis, introduced by whalers in the mid-19th century, had already killed several islanders when the first Christian missionary, Eugène Eyraud, died from this disease in 1867. About a quarter of the island's population succumbed along with him. In the following years, the managers of the sheep ranch and the missionaries started buying the newly available lands of the deceased, and this led to great confrontations between natives and settlers.

text: Jean-Baptiste Dutrou-Bornier bought up all of the island apart from the missionaries' area around Hanga Roa and moved a few hundred Rapanui to Tahiti to work for his backers. In 1871 the missionaries, having fallen out with Dutrou-Bornier, evacuated all but 171 Rapanui to the Gambier islands.[33] Those who remained were mostly older men. Six years later, only 111 people lived on Easter Island, and only 36 of them had any offspring.[34] From that point on the island's population slowly recovered. But with over 97% of the population dead or gone in less than a decade, much of the island's cultural knowledge had been lost.

text: Alexander Salmon, Jr., a son of an English Jewish merchant and a Pōmare Dynasty princess, eventually worked to repatriate workers from his inherited copra plantation. He eventually bought up all lands on the island with the exception of the mission, and was its sole employer. He worked to develop tourism on the island, and was the principal informant for the British and German archaeological expeditions for the island. He sent several pieces of genuine Rongorongo to his niece's husband, the German consul in Valparaíso, Chile. Salmon sold the Brander Easter Island holdings to the Chilean government in 1888 January 2 and signed as a witness to the cession of the island. He returned to Tahiti in December of that year. He effectively ruled the island from 1878 until his cession to Chile in 1888.

text: Easter Island was annexed by Chile on 9 September 1888 by Policarpo Toro by means of the "Treaty of Annexation of the Island" (Tratado de Anexión de la isla). Toro, then representing the government of Chile, signed with Atamu Tekena, designated "King" by the Roman Catholic missionaries after the paramount chief and his heir had died. The validity of this treaty is still contested by some Rapanui. Officially, Chile purchased the nearly all encompassing Mason-Brander sheep ranch, comprised from lands purchased from the descendants of Rapanui who died during the epidemics, and then claimed sovereignty over the island.

text: 20th century[edit]

text: Until the 1960s the surviving Rapanui were confined to Hanga Roa. The rest of the island was rented to the Williamson-Balfour Company as a sheep farm until 1953.[35] The island was then managed by the Chilean Navy until 1966, at which point the island was reopened in its entirety. In 1966 the Rapanui were given Chilean citizenship.[36]

text: Following the 1973 Chilean coup d'état that brought Augusto Pinochet to power, Easter Island was placed under martial law. Tourism slowed down and private property was restored. During his time in power, Pinochet visited Easter Island on three occasions. The military built a number of new military facilities and a new city hall.[37]

text: After an agreement in 1985 between Chile and United States, the runway at Mataveri International Airport was enlarged and was inaugurated in 1987. The runway was expanded 423 metres (1,388 ft) reaching 3,353 metres (11,001 ft). Pinochet is reported to have refused to attend the inauguration in protest of pressures from the United States to attend human rights cases.[38]

text: 21st century[edit]

text: Fishers of Rapa Nui have shown their concern of illegal fishing on the island. “Since the year 2000 we started to lose tuna, which is the basis of the fishing on the island, so then we began to take the fish from the shore to feed our families, but in less than two years we depleted all of it,” Pakarati said.[39] On 30 July 2007, a constitutional reform gave Easter Island and the Juan Fernández Islands (also known as Robinson Crusoe Island) the status of "special territories" of Chile. Pending the enactment of a special charter, the island continued to be governed as a province of the V Region of Valparaíso.[40]

text: A total solar eclipse visible from Easter Island occurred for the first time in over 1,300 years on 11 July 2010, at 18:15:15.[41]

text: Species of fish were collected in Easter Island for one month in different habitats including shallow lava pools, depths of 43 meters, and deep waters. Within these habitats, two holotypes and paratypes, Antennarius randalli and Antennarius moai, were discovered. These are considered frog-fish because of their characteristics: "12 dorsal rays, last two or three branched; bony part of first dorsal spine slightly shorter than second dorsal spine; body without bold zebra-like markings; caudal peduncle short, but distinct; last pelvic ray divided; pectoral rays 11 or 12".[42]

text: Indigenous rights movement[edit]

text: Starting in August 2010, members of the indigenous Hitorangi clan occupied the Hangaroa Eco Village and Spa.[43][44] The occupiers allege that the hotel was bought from the Pinochet government, in violation of a Chilean agreement with the indigenous Rapa Nui, in the 1990s.[45] The occupiers say their ancestors had been cheated into giving up the land.[46] According to a BBC report, on 3 December 2010, at least 25 people were injured when Chilean police using pellet guns attempted to evict from these buildings a group of Rapa Nui who had claimed that the land the buildings stood on had been illegally taken from their ancestors.[47]

text: In January 2011, the UN's Special Rapporteur on Indigenous People, James Anaya, expressed concern about the treatment of the indigenous Rapa Nui by the Chilean government, urging Chile to "make every effort to conduct a dialogue in good faith with representatives of the Rapa Nui people to solve, as soon as possible the real underlying problems that explain the current situation".[43]

text: The incident ended in February 2011, when up to 50 armed police broke into the hotel to remove the final five occupiers. They were arrested by the government and no injuries were reported.[43]

text: Geography[edit]

text: Easter Island is one of the world's most isolated inhabited islands. Its closest inhabited neighbour is Pitcairn Island, 2,075 km (1,289 mi) to the west, with fewer than 100 inhabitants. The nearest continental point lies in central Chile near Concepción, at 3,512 kilometres (2,182 mi). Easter Island's latitude is similar to that of Caldera, Chile, and it lies 3,510 km (2,180 mi) west of continental Chile at its nearest point (between Lota and Lebu in the Biobío Region). Isla Salas y Gómez, 415 km (258 mi) to the east, is closer but is uninhabited. Archipelago Tristan da Cunha in the southern Atlantic competes for the title of the most remote island, lying 2,430 kilometres (1,510 mi) from Saint Helena island and 2,816 kilometres (1,750 mi) from the South African coast.

text: The island is about 24.6 km (15.3 mi) long by 12.3 km (7.6 mi) at its widest point; its overall shape is triangular. It has an area of 163.6 square kilometres (63.2 sq mi), and a maximum altitude of 507 metres (1,663 ft). There are three Rano (freshwater crater lakes), at Rano Kau, Rano Raraku and Rano Aroi, near the summit of Terevaka, but no permanent streams or rivers.

text: Geology[edit]

text: Easter Island is a volcanic high island, consisting mainly of three extinct coalesced volcanoes: Terevaka (altitude 507 metres) forms the bulk of the island, while two other volcanoes, Poike and Rano Kau, form the eastern and southern headlands and give the island its roughly triangular shape. Lesser cones and other volcanic features include the crater Rano Raraku, the cinder cone Puna Pau and many volcanic caves including lava tubes.[48] Poike used to be a separate island until volcanic material from Terevaka united it to the larger whole. The island is dominated by hawaiite and basalt flows which are rich in iron and show affinity with igneous rocks found in the Galápagos Islands.[49]

text: Easter Island and surrounding islets, such as Motu Nui and Motu Iti, form the summit of a large volcanic mountain rising over 2,000 metres (6,600 ft) from the sea bed. The mountain is part of the Sala y Gómez Ridge, a (mostly submarine) mountain range with dozens of seamounts, formed by the Easter hotspot. The range begins with Pukao and next Moai, two seamounts to the west of Easter Island, and extends 2,700 km (1,700 mi) east to the Nazca Ridge. The ridge was formed by the Nazca Plate moving over the Easter hotspot.[50]

text: Located about 350 km east of the East Pacific Rise, Easter Island lies within the Nazca Plate, bordering the Easter Microplate. The Nazca-Pacific relative plate movement due to the seafloor spreading, amounts to about 150 mm per year. This movement over the Easter hotspot has resulted in the Easter Seamount Chain, which merges into the Nazca Ridge further to the east. Easter Island and Sala y Gómez are surface representations of that chain. The chain has progressively younger ages to the west. The current hotspot location is speculated to be west of Easter Island, amidst the Ahu, Umu and Tupa submarine volcanic fields and the Pukao and Moai seamounts.[51]

text: Easter Island lies atop the Rano Kau Ridge, and consists of three shield volcanoes with parallel geologic histories. Poike and Rano Kau exist on the east and south slopes of Terevaka, respectively. Rano Kau developed between 0.78 and 0.46 Ma from tholeiitic to alkalic basalts. This volcano possesses a clearly defined summit caldera. Benmoreitic lavas extruded about the rim from 0.35 to 0.34 Ma. Finally, between 0.24 and 0.11 Ma, a 6.5 km fissure developed along a NE-SW trend, forming monogenetic vents and rhyolitic intrusions. These include the cryptodome islets of Motu Nui and Motu Iti, the islet of Motu Kao Kao, the sheet intrusion of Te Kari Kari, the perlitic obsidian Te Manavai dome and the Maunga Orito dome.[51]

text: Poike formed from tholeiitic to alkali basalts from 0.78 to 0.41 Ma. Its summit collapsed into a caldera which was subsequently filled by the Puakatiki lava cone pahoehoe flows at 0.36 Ma. Finally, the trachytic lava domes of Maunga Vai a Heva, Maunga Tea Tea, and Maunga Parehe formed along a NE-SW trending fissure.[51]

text: Terevaka formed around 0.77 Ma of tholeiitic to alkali basalts, followed by the collapse of its summit into a caldera. Then at about 0.3Ma, cinder cones formed along a NNE-SSW trend on the western rim, while porphyritic benmoreitic lava filled the caldera, and pahoehoe flowed towards the northern coast, forming lava tubes, and to the southeast. Lava domes and a vent complex formed in the Maunga Puka area, while breccias formed along the vents on the western portion of Rano Aroi crater. This volcano's southern and southeastern flanks are composed of younger flows consisting of basalt, alkali basalt, hawaiite, mugearite, and benmoreite from eruptive fissures starting at 0.24 Ma. The youngest lava flow, Roiho, is dated at 0.11 Ma. The Hanga O Teo embayment is interpreted to be a 200 m high landslide scarp.[51]

text: Rano Raraku and Maunga Toa Toa are isolated tuff cones of about 0.21 Ma. The crater of Rano Raraku contains a freshwater lake. The stratified tuff is composed of sideromelane, slightly altered to palagonite, and somewhat lithified. The tuff contains lithic fragments of older lava flows. The northwest sector of Rano Raraku contains reddish ash.[51] According to Bandy, "...all of the great images of Easter Island are carved from" the light and porous tuff from Rano Raraku. A carving was abandoned when a large, dense and hard lithic fragment was encountered. However, these lithics became the basis for stone hammers and chisels. The Puna Pau crater contains an extremely porous pumice, from which was carved the Pukao "hats". The Maunga Orito obsidian was used to make the "mataa" spearheads.[52]

text: In the first half of the 20th century, steam reportedly came out of the Rano Kau crater wall. This was photographed by the island's manager, Mr. Edmunds.[53]

text: Climate[edit]

text: Under the Köppen climate classification, the climate of Easter Island is classified as a tropical rainforest climate (Af) that borders on a humid subtropical climate. The lowest temperatures are recorded in July and August (minimum 15 °C or 59 °F) and the highest in February (maximum temperature 28 °C or 82 °F[54]), the summer season in the southern hemisphere. Winters are relatively mild. The rainiest month is May, though the island experiences year-round rainfall.[55] Easter Island's isolated location exposes it to winds which help to keep the temperature fairly cool. Precipitation averages 1,118 millimetres or 44 inches per year. Occasionally, heavy rainfall and rainstorms strike the island. These occur mostly in the winter months (June–August). Since it is close to the South Pacific High and outside the range of the intertropical convergence zone, cyclones and hurricanes do not occur around Easter island.[56] There is significant temperature moderation due to its isolated position in the middle of the ocean.

text:
[hide]Climate data for Easter Island (1961–1990, extremes 1912–1990)

Month
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Year

Record high °C (°F)
32.0
(89.6)
31.0
(87.8)
32.0
(89.6)
31.0
(87.8)
30.0
(86)
29.0
(84.2)
31.0
(87.8)
28.3
(82.9)
30.0
(86)
29.0
(84.2)
33.0
(91.4)
34.0
(93.2)
34.0
(93.2)

Average high °C (°F)
27.0
(80.6)
27.3
(81.1)
26.9
(80.4)
25.4
(77.7)
23.4
(74.1)
22.0
(71.6)
21.3
(70.3)
21.2
(70.2)
21.7
(71.1)
22.5
(72.5)
23.9
(75)
25.4
(77.7)
24.0
(75.2)

Daily mean °C (°F)
23.3
(73.9)
23.6
(74.5)
23.1
(73.6)
21.8
(71.2)
20.2
(68.4)
18.8
(65.8)
18.2
(64.8)
18.0
(64.4)
18.3
(64.9)
19.1
(66.4)
20.4
(68.7)
21.8
(71.2)
20.6
(69.1)

Average low °C (°F)
19.8
(67.6)
20.2
(68.4)
19.9
(67.8)
18.9
(66)
17.7
(63.9)
16.5
(61.7)
15.7
(60.3)
15.4
(59.7)
15.5
(59.9)
16.0
(60.8)
17.3
(63.1)
18.4
(65.1)
17.6
(63.7)

Record low °C (°F)
12.0
(53.6)
14.0
(57.2)
11.0
(51.8)
12.7
(54.9)
10.0
(50)
7.0
(44.6)
9.4
(48.9)
7.0
(44.6)
8.0
(46.4)
8.0
(46.4)
8.0
(46.4)
12.0
(53.6)
7.0
(44.6)

Average precipitation mm (inches)
72.8
(2.866)
84.8
(3.339)
95.6
(3.764)
120.7
(4.752)
152.9
(6.02)
106.3
(4.185)
105.1
(4.138)
93.8
(3.693)
86.8
(3.417)
68.0
(2.677)
74.0
(2.913)
86.4
(3.402)
1,147.2
(45.165)

Average relative humidity (%)
77
79
79
81
81
81
80
80
79
77
77
78
79

Mean monthly sunshine hours
291.4
245.8
238.7
195.0
176.7
155.0
151.9
173.6
183.0
220.1
219.0
263.5
2,513.7

Mean daily sunshine hours
9.4
8.7
7.7
6.5
5.7
5.0
4.9
5.6
6.1
7.1
7.3
8.5
6.88

Source #1: Universidad de Chile (normals and sunshine hours)[57][58]

Source #2: Deutscher Wetterdienst (extremes and humidity)[59]

text: Ecology[edit]

text: Easter Island, together with its closest neighbour, the tiny island of Isla Sala y Gómez 415 kilometres (258 mi) farther east, is recognized by ecologists as a distinct ecoregion, the Rapa Nui subtropical broadleaf forests. The original subtropical moist broadleaf forests are now gone, but paleobotanical studies of fossil pollen, tree moulds left by lava flows, and root casts found in local soils indicate that the island was formerly forested, with a range of trees, shrubs, ferns, and grasses. A large extinct palm, Paschalococos disperta, related to the Chilean wine palm (Jubaea chilensis), was one of the dominant trees as attested by fossil evidence. Like its Chilean counterpart it probably took close to 100 years to reach adult height. The Polynesian rat, which the original settlers brought with them, played a very important role in the disappearance of the Rapanui palm. Although some may believe that rats played a major role in the degradation of the forest, less than 10% of palm nuts show teeth marks from rats. The remains of palm stumps in different places indicate that humans caused the trees to fall because in large areas, the stumps were cut efficiently.[60]

text: The clearance of the palms to make the settlements led to their extinction almost 350 years ago.[61] The toromiro tree (Sophora toromiro) was prehistorically present on Easter Island, but is now extinct in the wild. However the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and the Göteborg Botanical Garden are jointly leading a scientific program to reintroduce the toromiro to Easter Island. With the palm and the toromiro virtually gone, there was considerably less rainfall as a result of less condensation. After the island was used to feed thousands of sheep for almost a century, by the mid-1900s the island was mostly covered in grassland with nga'atu or bulrush (Schoenoplectus californicus tatora) in the crater lakes of Rano Raraku and Rano Kau. The presence of these reeds, which are called totora in the Andes, was used to support the argument of a South American origin of the statue builders, but pollen analysis of lake sediments shows these reeds have grown on the island for over 30,000 years.[citation needed] Before the arrival of humans, Easter Island had vast seabird colonies containing probably over 30 resident species, perhaps the world's richest.[62] Such colonies are no longer found on the main island. Fossil evidence indicates five species of landbirds (two rails, two parrots and a heron), all of which have become extinct.[63] Five introduced species of landbird are known to have breeding populations (see List of birds of Easter Island).

text: Lacks of studies resulting in poor understandings of oceanic fauna of Easter Island and waters in vicinity, however possibilities of undiscovered breeding grounds for humpback, southern blue and pygmy blue whales including Easter Island and Isla Salas y Gómez have been considered.[64] Potential breeding area for fin whales have been detected off northeast of the island as well.[65]

text:
Vegetation on the island

View of Easter Island from space, 2001. The Poike peninsula is on the right.

Digital recreation of its ancient landscape, with tropical forest and palm trees

View toward the interior of the island

View of Rano Kau and Pacific Ocean

text: The immunosuppressant drug sirolimus was first discovered in the bacterium Streptomyces hygroscopicus in a soil sample from Easter Island. The drug is also known as rapamycin, after Rapa Nui.[66] It is now being studied for extending longevity in mice.[67]

text: Trees are sparse, rarely forming natural groves, and it has been argued whether native Easter Islanders deforested the island in the process of erecting their statues,[68] and in providing sustenance for an overpopulated island.[citation needed] Experimental archaeology demonstrated that some statues certainly could have been placed on "Y" shaped wooden frames called miro manga erua and then pulled to their final destinations on ceremonial sites.[68] Other theories involve the use of "ladders" (parallel wooden rails) over which the statues could have been dragged.[69] Rapanui traditions metaphorically refer to spiritual power (mana) as the means by which the moai were "walked" from the quarry. Recent experimental recreations have proven that it is fully possible that the moai were literally walked from their quarries to their final positions by use of ropes, casting doubt on the role that their existence plays in the environmental collapse of the island.[70]

text: Given the island's southern latitude, the climatic effects of the Little Ice Age (about 1650 to 1850) may have exacerbated deforestation, although this remains speculative.[68] Many researchers[71] point to the climatic downtrend caused by the Little Ice Age as a contributing factor to resource stress and to the palm tree's disappearance. Experts, however, do not agree on when exactly the island's palms became extinct.

text: Jared Diamond dismisses past climate change as a dominant cause of the island's deforestation in his book Collapse which assesses the collapse of the ancient Easter Islanders.[72] Influenced by Heyerdahl's romantic interpretation of Easter's history (as he acknowledges in chapter 2 of Collapse), Diamond insists that the disappearance of the island's trees seems to coincide with a decline of its civilization around the 17th and 18th centuries. He notes that they stopped making statues at that time and started destroying the ahu. But the link is weakened because the Bird Man cult continued to thrive and survived the great impact caused by the arrival of explorers, whalers, sandalwood traders, and slave raiders.

text: Midden contents show that the main source of protein was tuna and dolphin. With the loss of the trees, there was a sudden drop in the quantities of fish bones found in middens as the islanders lost the means to construct fishing vessels, coinciding with a large increase in bird bones. This was followed by a decrease in the number of bird bones as birds lost their nesting sites or became extinct. A new style of art from this period shows people with exposed ribs and distended bellies, indicative of malnutrition, and it is around this time that many islanders moved to living in fortified caves and the first signs of warfare and cannibalism appear.

text: Soil erosion because of lack of trees is apparent in some places. Sediment samples document that up to half of the native plants had become extinct and that the vegetation of the island drastically altered. Polynesians were primarily farmers, not fishermen, and their diet consisted mainly of cultivated staples such as taro root, sweet potato, yams, cassava, and bananas. With no trees to protect them, sea spray led to crop failures exacerbated by a sudden reduction in fresh water flows. There is evidence that the islanders took to planting crops in caves beneath collapsed ceilings and covered the soil with rocks to reduce evaporation. Cannibalism occurred on many Polynesian islands, sometimes in times of plenty as well as famine. Its presence on Easter Island (based on human remains associated with cooking sites, especially in caves) is supported by oral histories.[citation needed]

text: Benny Peiser[5] noted evidence of self-sufficiency when Europeans first arrived. The island still had smaller trees, mainly toromiro, which became extinct in the wild in the 20th century probably because of slow growth and changes in the island's ecosystem. Cornelis Bouman, Jakob Roggeveen's captain, stated in his logbook, "... of yams, bananas and small coconut palms we saw little and no other trees or crops." According to Carl Friedrich Behrens, Roggeveen's officer, "The natives presented palm branches as peace offerings." According to ethnographer Alfred Mètraux, the most common type of house was called "hare paenga" (and is known today as "boat house") because the roof resembled an overturned boat. The foundations of the houses were made of buried basalt slabs with holes for wooden beams to connect with each other throughout the width of the house. These were then covered with a layer of totora reed, followed by a layer of woven sugarcane leaves, and lastly a layer of woven grass. There were reports by European visitors who said they had seen "boles of large palm trees".[citation needed]

text: Peiser claims that these reports indicate that large trees existed at that time, which is perhaps contradicted by the Bouman quote above. Plantations were often located farther inland, next to foothills, inside open-ceiling lava tubes, and in other places protected from the strong salt winds and salt spray affecting areas closer to the coast. It is possible many of the Europeans did not venture inland. The statue quarry, only one kilometre (0.62 miles) from the coast with an impressive cliff 100 m (330 ft) high, was not explored by Europeans until well into the 19th century.

text: Easter Island has suffered from heavy soil erosion in recent centuries, perhaps aggravated by agriculture and massive deforestation. This process seems to have been gradual and may have been aggravated by sheep farming throughout most of the 20th century. Jakob Roggeveen reported that Easter Island was exceptionally fertile. "Fowls are the only animals they keep. They cultivate bananas, sugar cane, and above all sweet potatoes." In 1786 Jean-François de La Pérouse visited Easter Island and his gardener declared that "three days' work a year" would be enough to support the population.

text: Rollin, a major in the Pérouse expedition, wrote, "Instead of meeting with men exhausted by famine... I found, on the contrary, a considerable population, with more beauty and grace than I afterwards met in any other island; and a soil, which, with very little labor, furnished excellent provisions, and in an abundance more than sufficient for the consumption of the inhabitants."[74]

text: According to Diamond, the oral traditions (the veracity of which has been questioned by Routledge, Lavachery, Mètraux, Peiser and others) of the current islanders seem obsessed with cannibalism, which he offers as evidence supporting a rapid collapse. For example, he states, to severely insult an enemy one would say, "The flesh of your mother sticks between my teeth." This, Diamond asserts, means the food supply of the people ultimately ran out.[75] Cannibalism, however, was widespread across Polynesian cultures.[76] Human bones have not been found in earth ovens other than those behind the religious platforms, indicating that cannibalism in Easter Island was a ritualistic practice. Contemporary ethnographic research has proven there is scarcely any tangible evidence for widespread cannibalism anywhere and at any time on the Island.[77] The first scientific exploration of Easter Island (1914) recorded that the indigenous population strongly rejected allegations that they or their ancestors had been cannibals.[29]

text: Culture[edit]

text: Mythology[edit]

text: The most important myths are:

text:
Tangata manu, the Birdman cult which was practised until the 1860s.
Makemake, an important god.
Aku-aku, the guardians of the sacred family caves.
Moai-kava-kava a ghost man of the Hanau epe (long-ears.)
Hekai ite umu pare haonga takapu Hanau epe kai noruego, the sacred chant to appease the aku-aku before entering a family cave.

text: Stone work[edit]

text: The Rapa Nui people had a Stone Age culture and made extensive use of local stone:

text:
Basalt, a hard, dense stone used for toki and at least one of the moai.
Obsidian, a volcanic glass with sharp edges used for sharp-edged implements such as Mataa and for the black pupils of the eyes of the moai.
Red scoria from Puna Pau, a very light red stone used for the pukao and a few moai.
Tuff from Rano Raraku, a much more easily worked rock than basalt that was used for most of the moai.

text: Statues[edit]

text: The large stone statues, or moai, for which Easter Island is famous, were carved in the period 1100–1680 CE (rectified radio-carbon dates).[16] A total of 887 monolithic stone statues have been inventoried on the island and in museum collections.[78] Although often identified as "Easter Island heads", the statues have torsos, most of them ending at the top of the thighs, although a small number are complete figures that kneel on bent knees with their hands over their stomachs.[79][80] Some upright moai have become buried up to their necks by shifting soils.

text: Almost all (95%)[citation needed] moai were carved from compressed, easily worked solidified volcanic ash or tuff found at a single site on the side of the extinct volcano Rano Raraku. The native islanders who carved them used only stone hand chisels, mainly basalt toki, which lie in place all over the quarry. The stone chisels were sharpened by chipping off a new edge when dulled. While sculpting was going on, the volcanic stone was splashed with water to soften it. While many teams worked on different statues at the same time, a single moai took a team of five or six men approximately a year to complete. Each statue represented the deceased head of a lineage.

text: Only a quarter of the statues were installed. Nearly half remained in the quarry at Rano Raraku, and the rest sat elsewhere, presumably on their way to intended locations. The largest moai raised on a platform is known as "Paro". It weighs 82 tonnes (90.4 short tons), and is 9.89 m (32.4 ft) long.[81][82] Several other statues of similar weight were transported to ahu on the north and south coasts.

text: Possible means by which the statues were moved include employment of a miro manga erua, a Y-shaped sledge with cross pieces, pulled with ropes made from the tough bark of the hau tree[83] and tied around the statue's neck. Anywhere from 180 to 250 men were required for pulling, depending on the size of the moai. Some 50 of the statues were re-erected in modern times. One of the first was on Ahu Ature Huke in Anakena beach in 1956.[84] It was raised using traditional methods during a Heyerdahl expedition.

text: Another method that might have been used would be to attach ropes to the statue and rock it, tugging it forward as it rocked. This would fit the legend of the Mo'ai 'walking' to their final locations.[85][86][87] This might have been managed by as few as 15 people, supported by the following evidence:

text:
The heads of the moai in the quarry are sloped forward whereas the ones moved to final locations are not. This would serve to provide a better centre of gravity for transport.
The statues found along the transport roads have wider bases than statues installed on ahu; this would facilitate more stable transport. Studies have shown fractures along the bases of the statues in transport; these could have arisen from rocking the statue back and forth and placing great pressures on the edges. The statues found mounted on ahu do not have wide bases and stone chips found at the sites suggest they were further modified on placement.
The abandoned and fallen statues near the old roads are found (more often than would be expected from chance) face down on ascending grades and on their backs when headed uphill. Some were documented standing upright along the old roads, e.g., by a party from Captain Cook's voyage that rested in the shade of a standing statue. This would be consistent with upright transport.

text: There is debate around the moai regarding the effects of the monument creation process on the environment. Some believe that the process of creating the moai caused widespread deforestation and ultimately a civil war over scarce resources.[88]

text: In 2011, a large moai statue was excavated from the ground.[89] During the same excavation program, some larger moai were found to have complex dorsal petroglyphs, revealed by deep excavation of the torso.[90]

text:
Moais

Tukuturi, an unusual bearded kneeling moai

All fifteen standing moai at Ahu Tongariki, excavated and restored in the 1990s

Ahu Akivi, one of the few inland ahu, with the only moai facing the ocean

text: Stone platforms[edit]

text: Ahu are stone platforms. Varying greatly in layout, many were reworked during or after the huri mo'ai or statue-toppling era; many became ossuaries; one was dynamited open; and Ahu Tongariki was swept inland by a tsunami. Of the 313 known ahu, 125 carried moai—usually just one, probably because of the shortness of the moai period and transportation difficulties. Ahu Tongariki, one kilometre (0.62 miles) from Rano Raraku, had the most and tallest moai, 15 in total.[91] Other notable ahu with moai are Ahu Akivi, restored in 1960 by William Mulloy, Nau Nau at Anakena and Tahai. Some moai may have been made from wood and were lost.

text: The classic elements of ahu design are:

text:
A retaining rear wall several feet high, usually facing the sea
A front wall made of rectangular basalt slabs called paenga
A fascia made of red scoria that went over the front wall (platforms built after 1300)
A sloping ramp in the inland part of the platform, extending outward like wings
A pavement of even-sized, round water-worn stones called poro
An alignment of stones before the ramp
A paved plaza before the ahu. This was called marae
Inside the ahu was a fill of rubble.

text: On top of many ahu would have been:

text:
Moai on squareish "pedestals" looking inland, the ramp with the poro before them.
Pukao or Hau Hiti Rau on the moai heads (platforms built after 1300).
When a ceremony took place, "eyes" were placed on the statues. The whites of the eyes were made of coral, the iris was made of obsidian or red scoria.

text: Ahu evolved from the traditional Polynesian marae. In this context ahu referred to a small structure sometimes covered with a thatched roof where sacred objects, including statues, were stored. The ahu were usually adjacent to the marae or main central court where ceremonies took place, though on Easter Island ahu and moai evolved to much greater size. There the marae is the unpaved plaza before the ahu. The biggest ahu is 220 metres (720 ft) and holds 15 statues, some of which are 9 metres (30 ft) high. The filling of an ahu was sourced locally (apart from broken, old moai, fragments of which have been used in the fill).[73] Individual stones are mostly far smaller than the moai, so less work was needed to transport the raw material, but artificially levelling the terrain for the plaza and filling the ahu was laborious.

text: Ahu are found mostly on the coast, where they are distributed fairly evenly except on the western slopes of Mount Terevaka and the Rano Kau and Poike[92] headlands. These are the three areas with the least low-lying coastal land, and apart from Poike the furthest areas from Rano Raraku. One ahu with several moai was recorded on the cliffs at Rano Kau in the 1880s but had fallen to the beach before the Routledge expedition.[29]

text: Stone walls[edit]

text: One of the highest-quality examples of Easter Island stone masonry is the rear wall of the ahu at Vinapu. Made without mortar by shaping hard basalt rocks of up to 7 tonnes to match each other exactly, it has a superficial similarity to some Inca stone walls in South America.[93]

text: Stone houses[edit]

text: Two types of houses are known from the past: hare paenga, a house with an elliptical foundation, made with basalt slabs and covered with a thatched roof that resembled an overturned boat, and hare oka, a round stone structure. Related stone structures called Tupa look very similar to the hare oka, except that the Tupa were inhabited by astronomer-priests and located near the coast, where the movements of the stars could be easily observed. Settlements also contain hare moa ("chicken house"), oblong stone structures that housed chickens. The houses at the ceremonial village of Orongo are unique in that they are shaped like hare paenga but are made entirely of flat basalt slabs found inside Rano Kao crater. The entrances to all the houses are very low, and entry requires crawling.

text: In early times the people of Rapa Nui reportedly sent the dead out to sea in small funerary canoes, as did their Polynesian counterparts on other islands. They later started burying people in secret caves to save the bones from desecration by enemies. During the turmoil of the late 18th century, the islanders seem to have started to bury their dead in the space between the belly of a fallen moai and the front wall of the structure. During the time of the epidemics they made mass graves that were semi-pyramidal stone structures.

text: Petroglyphs[edit]

text: Petroglyphs are pictures carved into rock, and Easter Island has one of the richest collections in all Polynesia. Around 1,000 sites with more than 4,000 petroglyphs are catalogued. Designs and images were carved out of rock for a variety of reasons: to create totems, to mark territory, or to memorialize a person or event. There are distinct variations around the island in the frequency of themes among petroglyphs, with a concentration of Birdmen at Orongo. Other subjects include sea turtles, Komari (vulvas) and Makemake, the chief god of the Tangata manu or Birdman cult.[94]

text:
Petroglyphs

Makemake with two birdmen, carved from red scoria

Fish petroglyph found near Ahu Tongariki

text: Caves[edit]

text: The island and neighbouring Motu Nui are riddled with caves, many of which show signs of past human use for planting and as fortifications, including narrowed entrances and crawl spaces with ambush points. Many caves feature in the myths and legends of the Rapa Nui.

text: Rongorongo[edit]

text: Easter Island once had an apparent script called rongorongo. Glyphs include pictographic and geometric shapes; the texts were incised in wood in reverse boustrophedon direction. It was first reported by a French missionary, Eugène Eyraud, in 1864. At that time, several islanders said they could understand the writing, but according to tradition, only ruling families and priests were ever literate, and none survived the slave raids and subsequent epidemics. Despite numerous attempts, the surviving texts have not been deciphered, and without decipherment it is not certain that they are actually writing. Part of the problem is the small amount that has survived: only two dozen texts, none of which remain on the island. There are also only a couple of similarities with the petroglyphs on the island.[95]

text: Wood carving[edit]

text:
Skeletal statuette
Atypical tubby statuette

text: Wood was scarce on Easter Island during the 18th and 19th centuries, but a number of highly detailed and distinctive carvings have found their way to the world's museums. Particular forms include:[96]

text:
Reimiro, a gorget or breast ornament of crescent shape with a head at one or both tips.[97] The same design appears on the flag of Rapa Nui. Two Rei Miru at the British Museum are inscribed with Rongorongo.
Moko Miro, a man with a lizard head. The Moko Miro was used as a club because of the legs, which formed a handle shape. If it wasn't held by hand, dancers wore it around their necks during feasts. The Moko Miro would also be placed at the doorway to protect the household from harm. It would be hanging from the roof or set in the ground. The original form had eyes made from white shells, and the pupils were made of obsidian.[98]
Moai kavakava are male carvings and the Moai Paepae are female carvings.[99] These grotesque and highly detailed human figures carved from Toromiro pine, represent ancestors. Sometimes these statues were used for fertility rites. Usually, they are used for harvest celebrations; "the first picking of fruits was heaped around them as offerings". When the statues were not used, they would be wrapped in bark cloth and kept at home. There were a few times that are reported when the islanders would pick up the figures like dolls and dance with them.[99] The earlier figures are rare and generally depict a male figure with an emaciated body and a goatee. The figures' ribs and vertebrae are exposed and many examples show carved glyphs on various parts of the body but more specifically, on the top of the head. The female figures, rarer than the males, depict the body as flat and often with the female's hand lying across the body. The figures, although some were quite large, were worn as ornamental pieces around a tribesman's neck. The more figures worn, the more important the man. The figures have a shiny patina developed from constant handling and contact with human skin.[citation needed]
Ao, a large dancing paddle

text: 21st-century culture[edit]

text: The Rapanui sponsor an annual festival, the Tapati, held since 1975 around the beginning of February to celebrate Rapanui culture. The islanders also maintain a national football team and three discos in the town of Hanga Roa. Other cultural activities include a musical tradition that combines South American and Polynesian influences and woodcarving.

text: Sports[edit]

text: The Chilean leg of the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series takes place on the Island of Rapa Nui.

text: Demographics[edit]

text: 2012 census[edit]

text: Population at the 2012 census was 5,761 (increased from 3,791 in 2002).[100] In 2002, 60% were persons of indigenous Rapa Nui origin, 39% were mainland Chileans (or their Easter Island-born descendants) of European or mestizo (mixed European and indigenous Chilean Amerindian) origin, and the remaining 1% were indigenous mainland Chilean Amerindians (or their Easter Island-born descendants).[101] Population density on Easter Island in 2012 is only 35 inhabitants per square kilometre (91/sq mi).

text:
Real life in Rapa Nui

Polynesian dancing with feather costumes is on the tourist itinerary.

Hanga Roa town hall

Fishing boats

Front view of the Catholic Church, Hanga Roa

Catholic Church, Hanga Roa

Interior view of the Catholic Church in Hanga Roa

text: Demographic history[edit]

text: The 1982 population was 1,936. The increase in population in the last census was partly caused by the arrival of people of European or mixed European and Native American descent from the Chilean mainland. However, most married a Rapanui spouse. Around 70% of the population were natives. Estimates of the pre-European population range from 7–17,000. Easter Island's all-time low of 111 inhabitants was reported in 1877. Out of these 111 Rapanui, only 36 had descendants, but all of today's Rapanui claim descent from those 36.

text: Administration and legal status[edit]

text: Easter Island shares with Juan Fernández Islands the constitutional status of "special territory" of Chile, granted in 2007. As of 2011[update] a special charter for the island was under discussion in the Chilean Congress.

text: Administratively, the island is a province of the Valparaíso Region and contains a single commune (comuna). Both the province and the commune are called Isla de Pascua and encompass the whole island and its surrounding islets and rocks, plus Isla Salas y Gómez, some 380 km (236 mi) to the east. The provincial governor is appointed by the President of the Republic.[102] The municipal administration is located in Hanga Roa, led by a mayor and a six-member municipal council, all directly elected for a four-year mandate.

text: Notable people[edit]

text:
Kings of Easter Island
Hotu Matuʻa – island founder
Nga'ara – one of the last ‘ariki
Atamu Tekena – missionary installed king
Riro Kāinga – last person to hold title of king
Angata – native catechist and prophetess who led a 1914 rebellion
Juan Tepano – indigenous leader and cultural informant
Thor Heyerdahl – ethnographer
Eugène Eyraud – missionary
Hippolyte Roussel – missionary
Sebastian Englert—missionary and ethnologist
Katherine Routledge – archaeologist and anthropologist
William Mulloy – archaeologist
Pedro Pablo Edmunds Paoa – Mayor and former Governor
Melania Carolina Hotu Hey – Governor (2006–2010 and incumbent since 2015)
Juan Edmunds Rapahango – former Mayor

text: Transportation[edit]

text: Easter Island is served by Mataveri International Airport, with jet service (currently Boeing 767s and Boeing 787s) from LAN Airlines and, seasonally, subsidiaries such as LAN Peru.