Chilean social media users are leading a campaign for the return of the Hoa Hakananai’a moai to Easter Island. The online efforts aim to repatriate the statue, which has sparked a fervent push for its restoration to the island.
A campaign by social media users in Chile seeks the repatriation of Hoa Hakananai’a moai to the island.
Social media users in Chile have initiated a campaign urging the British Museum to repatriate a stone monument taken from Easter Island. The museum currently houses two moai statues removed from the Chilean territory of Rapa Nui in 1868.
The online movement gained momentum following an influencer’s call to flood the museum’s Instagram posts with “return the moai” comments. In response, the British Museum opted to disable comments on one of its social media posts.
Easter Island, situated approximately 2,300 miles (3,700 km) off Chile’s Pacific coast, is renowned for its moai statues, believed to symbolize the essence of significant ancestors. Dating from 1400 to 1650 AD, many of these statues remain on the island, while others have been relocated to various museums worldwide, including the British Museum’s acquisition of the Hoa Hakananai’a.
In 1869, the captain of HMS Topaze, Commodore Richard Powell, presented the Hoa Hakananai’a and a smaller moai named Hava as gifts to Queen Victoria. Subsequently, Queen Victoria bestowed these statues to the British Museum.
Over time, there have been persistent appeals for the return of the Hoa Hakananai’a, often referred to as the “Stolen Friend,” to Rapa Nui.
Chilean social media influencer Mike Milfort’s renewed campaign spurred numerous demands for the repatriation of a significant artifact in the comments sections of various Instagram posts by museums.
Milfort frequently discusses the moai in his viral videos, prompting his followers to inundate platforms like Wikipedia and the British Museum’s Instagram with messages advocating for the return of the moai.
Chile’s President Gabriel Boric also voiced support for the sentiment behind the social media campaign during a recent radio interview.
In response, the British Museum acknowledged the surge in comments and disclosed that it had deactivated comments on a post shared in collaboration with a youth charity. The museum emphasized the importance of balanced debate while considering safeguarding measures, particularly concerning young audiences.
Despite the outcry, the museum highlighted its positive relations with colleagues in Rapa Nui and noted multiple visits from the community to London since 2018.
Additionally, the debate over repatriation gained momentum last year when Greece’s prime minister called for the return of the Parthenon Sculptures, also known as the Elgin Marbles, from the British Museum. These sculptures represent a prominent example in the ongoing discourse regarding the restitution of cultural artifacts to their countries of origin.
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