· Agreement
Agreement of Wills annexation, 1888
Chile annexed Rapa Nui under a treaty committing to respect Rapa Nui land rights and chiefly authority.
Significance here: The foundational treaty underlying the Rapa Nui self-determination claim.
Autonomy and Indigenous self-government
Rapa Nui self-determination
Per the catalogue's instruction to research organisations and differing objectives, this bundle distinguishes the broader Rapa Nui movement, whose documented claims centre on self-determination as territorial rights, cultural autonomy, and reparations, explicitly not full independence, from the Rapa Nui Parliament, established in 2001 by a rival Council of Elders, whose leader has pursued an independence process before the UN Special Committee on Decolonization, a minority position within the movement. The 1888 Agreement of Wills annexation treaty is documented as the foundational basis of the claim.
- Reading time
- 1 min read
- Published
- Status verified as of
What is this case about?
Rapa Nui was annexed to Chile under the 9 September 1888 Agreement of Wills, which committed to respecting the investiture of Rapa Nui chiefs and reserving land ownership for the Rapa Nui people; Rapa Nui claimants argue this commitment has not been honoured.[1] The broader Rapa Nui movement's documented claims centre on self-determination as territorial rights, cultural autonomy, and control over land and cultural resources, together with reparations for historical human-rights violations, explicitly not full independence from Chile.[2] In 2001, a rival "Council of Elders No. 2" established the Rapa Nui Parliament; its leader Rafael Tuki has pursued the island's case before the UN Special Committee on Decolonization, stating his aim to begin an independence process, a minority position within the broader movement.[3]
At a glance
Current position
Status verified as of
Rapa Nui (Easter Island) remains a special territory of Chile. The broader Rapa Nui movement continues to press claims for cultural autonomy, land rights, and reparations, while the Rapa Nui Parliament, a minority strand, continues to pursue an independence process before the UN Special Committee on Decolonization. No independence referendum has been held or scheduled.[3]
History
History of Rapa Nui self-determination
From the 1888 Agreement of Wills to the 2001 founding of the Rapa Nui Parliament.
42 words · 1 min read
Key dates
Full timeline· Organisation founded
Founding of the Rapa Nui Parliament, 2001
A rival Council of Elders established a parliament pursuing an independence process before the UN.
Significance here: The founding of the minority, more radical strand of the Rapa Nui self-determination movement.
Sources for this page
Each number marks a specific claim. Notes give the source, its locator and how it relates to the claim.
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1.
Claim: Rapa Nui was annexed to Chile under a treaty signed on 9 September 1888, known as the Agreement of Wills, which established respect for the investiture of Rapa Nui chiefs and reserved land ownership for the Rapa Nui people; Rapa Nui claimants argue this commitment has not been honoured.
- Indigenous peoples' rights to autonomy and self-government: the case of Rapa Nui, Chile (International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs (IWGIA)) link, 1888 Agreement of Wills section. Advocacy organisation perspective Source record
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2.
Claim: The broader Rapa Nui movement's documented claims centre on self-determination in the sense of territorial rights, cultural autonomy, and control over land and cultural resources, together with reparations for historical human-rights violations and neglect by the Chilean state; Rapa Nui people do not, in this mainstream strand, seek complete independence from Chile.
- Rapa Nui in Chile (Minority Rights Group) link, Mainstream movement goals section. Advocacy organisation perspective Source record
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3.
Claim: In 2001, a rival "Council of Elders No. 2" established the Rapa Nui Parliament; its leader Rafael Tuki has pursued the island's case before the UN Special Committee on Decolonization, stating his aim to begin an independence process, a minority position distinct from the broader movement's focus on autonomy.
- Rapa Nui in Chile (Minority Rights Group) link, Rapa Nui Parliament founding section. Advocacy organisation perspective Source record
- On Remote Easter Island, A Rising Independence Movement (Worldcrunch) link, Tuki's UN decolonization pursuit section. Source record