During more than two years of the coronavirus pandemic, Easter Island was closed to tourism — forcing inhabitants to turn to a more sustainable way of life and relearn forgotten skills.
Now the island's borders are open once again, local people, including the Rapa Nui indigenous population, want to resist the temptation to return to their pre-pandemic lifestyle.
"The time has come that the ancients predicted," Julio Hotus, a member of the Easter Island council of elders, said.
Mr Hotus said the Rapa Nui people's ancestors had warned about the importance of maintaining food independence because of the risk the island faced of one day becoming isolated.
But he said recent generations had ignored the warnings.
Before the pandemic, the island's food supply was almost exclusively provided by Chile.
Easter Island lies 3,500 kilometres off the west coast of Chile and is world renowned for its monumental statues of human figures with giant heads, called moai.
With a population of just 8,000, it used to attract 160,000 tourists a year — "an avalanche" according to Mr Hotus — but in March 2020 Easter Island closed its borders due to COVID-19.
No tourists, no income
Olga Ickapakarati used to sell small stone moai figurines to tourists but once she was left without an income, she turned to agriculture and fishing to survive, just as her ancestors had lived before contact with European explorers.
"We were all left with nothing, we were left in the wind … but we began planting," Ms Ickapakarati said.
She took advantage of a program that delivered seeds before the island was shut off from the outside world.
Ms Ickapakarati, who lives with her children and grandchildren, planted spinach, beets, coriander, chard, celery, basil, pineapple, oregano and tomatoes.
She shared with neighbours what she didn't eat, as many families did, creating an island-wide support network.
"All the islanders are like this," Ms Ickapakarati said.
"They have good hearts. If I see that I have a surplus of something, I give it to another family."
This new focus on sustainable living does not mean an end to tourism on Easter Island.
Last week, the first airplane of tourists in 28 months landed on the island, much to the excitement of locals desperate to see new faces.
But there will be no immediate return to the two-flights-a-day standard that was in place pre-pandemic.
There will be just two a week for now, although the number will gradually increase.
Large hotel chains have decided to stay closed.
"We will continue with tourists, but I hope that the pandemic has taught a lesson that we can apply for the future," Mr Hotus said.
'Archaeological heritage at risk'
Another thing the pandemic did was create awareness of the necessity of looking after natural resources affected by climate change, such as water and energy, and the emblematic moais.
Carved from volcanic rock by the Polynesian Rapa Nui people between the years 1200 and 1500, there are more than 900 statues on the island, which measures 24 kilometres by 12 kilometres.
The moais can measure up to 20 meters in height and weigh more than 80 tons.
Most remain at the quarry where they were originally carved but many others were carted to coastal areas to look inland, presumably for ceremonial purposes.
The moais have been damaged by heavy rainfall, strong winds and the ocean waves crashing against the statues and their bases, leading to fears for their future.
"Climate change, with its extreme events, is putting our archaeological heritage at risk," local environment director Vairoa Ika said.
She said the stone was degrading and needed to be protected.
Island mayor Pedro Edmunds Paoa said the value of the statues was "incalculable".
"The problem with the moais is that they are very fragile," Mr Edmunds Paoa said.
He said authorities needed to "forget about the tourist" vision and take protective measures, even if that meant covering the statues "with glass domes", which would ruin the authentic view and tourists' photographs.
He also wants inhabitants to make maximum use of natural resources and to prioritise locals in employment while resurrecting the ancestral practise of fostering community solidarity.
"From now on the tourist must become a friend of the place, whereas before they were visiting foreigners," Mr Edmunds Paoa said.
ABC/AFP
