Ahu Vinapu

It was the perfect place to educate us not just what moais are and how they came to be, but also WHY THEY WERE KNOCKED DOWN, and why there are many that do not want them restored.

Most of the time, statues of that size commemorate gods, but moais are people--people with means. People who can keep their nails long because they don't have to tend the ground, people who have plenty to keep their bellies full (Bruno's phrasing, not mine🫡). They bear the image of respected leaders and elders, but also those who can afford them. So when resources are diverted to create statues for the dead instead of sustaining those who are laboring daily, it made sense why they were knocked to the ground, and why re-erecting them isn't universally seen in a positive light.Read more