Phineas Kelly

PHINEAS KELLY, University of Wyoming, Cheyenne, Wyoming, was awarded an Engaged Research Grant in February 2022 to assist “Rapa Nui Language Revitalization and Digital Repatriation.” The Mana Tupuna Project reimagines the connection between contemporary Rapanui people and the carvings of their ancestors. The inaugural iteration of this multifaceted project focuses on the Mulloy collection in the University of Wyoming Museum of Art. By digitally bridging between museum art abroad and people on Rapa Nui, this project reinforces Polynesian language, culture, and values in both local and global settings. Beginning in March 2020, international travel and tourism to Rapa Nui (Easter Island) stopped due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the island was in a state of relative isolation for nearly two and a half years. Resilient and indomitable as ever, the people of Rapa Nui took this time to refocus on traditional farming, fishing, Rapanui language, and cultural revitalization projects. The Mana Tupuna project, which is a collaboration between the Rapa Nui Tour Guides Association, Rapa Nui wood carvers, and the author, explores and assesses colonial discourses, their effects on the art and culture of Rapa Nui, and the possibilities for more sustainable forms of tourism that do not rely solely on people physically visiting the island. The applications that support Mana Tupuna function as language and culture revitalization tools.