Where people are turns to tradition to tackle virus troubles

Inhabitants of Easter Island are leaning on a traditional form of ancestral discipline to overcome a coronavirus-imposed lockdown that threatens the Pacific island’s vital tourism sector, and consequently their livelihoods.

Situated 3,500 kilometers (2,200 miles) off the coast of Chile, the island of 7,750 people is renowned for its giant humanoid monoliths called moais that were sculpted from basalt more than 1,000 years ago.

So far, there have been just two confirmed coronavirus cases on Easter Island, with two or three more under observation. But the local population can ill afford the outbreak to spread with just one hospital and three ventilators on the island.

Faced with this crisis, the locals have turned to the Tapu, an ancient tradition based on taking care of oneself that has been passed down through generations of the native Rapa Nui people.

“To accompany this self-care concept, we’re applying the Rapa Nui tradition, an ancestral rule based on sustainability and respect,” said the island’s mayor Pedro Edmunds.

“It’s called Tapu. You can hear about this concept in all the Polynesian islands.”

Tapu is a complex concept related to secrecy, rules and prohibitions from which the English word “taboo” derives.

“If you say the word Tapu to a Polynesian, they will immediately tell you why we have to do Tapu. That’s precisely because they know and understand what it signifies,” said Edmunds.

It means that the island’s lockdown has been diligently respected, leading to the virus being prevented from spreading far and wide.

“We’ve applied the Tapu concept for all Rapa Nui and the acceptance has been incredible,” said Edmunds.

“The virus is contained in two families in the same area, so we know where they are, who they are, and they’ve been respecting the (isolation) protocols since the beginning,” Edmunds told AFP.

– Tourism impact –

But now, there are greater worries about the pandemic’s impact on tourism.

On average, 100,000 people visit the volcanic Polynesian island each year, mostly attracted by the mysterious moais.