Rapanui in the World and the World on Rapa Nui – A Report from Two International Scientific Conferences held on Rapa Nui during November 2018

Abstract

This report provides synthesis and commentary about two international scientific conferences held on Rapa Nui during November 2018. The first conference, the Early Pacific Migration Conference, brought academics in the Oceanic research community together to consider Pacific Ocean and island palaeoecology, the migration of humans, fauna, and flora, ancestral navigation, and archaeology to better understand the myriad of Oceanic island cultures, environments, and legacies. The second conference, the 1st International Symposium of Rapa Nui -Heritage, Culture, and Society from a Contemporary Perspective, viewed Rapa Nui from a more current standpoint to understand Chilean state and Rapanui local relations, history, anthropology and representation, and cultural and environmental goals. Together, the two conferences produced 60 papers, conducted multiple field visits, and provided challenging and rewarding experiences, which highlighted the past and present of Rapa Nui, to prepare it for the future.