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40

At the moment [1982] the Territorial Island only counts on a human settlement of dispersed

rural or suburban character in a small fraction of all the island. It is depopulated in more

than 90% and its ecumenical area is only concentrated around Mataveri, Mae-Roa and

Hanga-Roa. None of these points really forms an urban nucleus, or village, and the social

disintegration that it causes is to a large extent the cause of the deterioration that the island

presents today

The environmental conditions for the incubation of the cultural values that allow to wait for

the appearance of some valuable culture in the future do not exist today, if nothing is done

to avoid it.

The present Easter Island is only a small part of the real Easter Island.

It is fundamental to rediscover the structure of the Island, to find back its territorial balance

and only in this way it will be possible to revive the culture and the social and economic

balance.

The natural nuclei of polarization in the present populated area must be found, on the basis

of center-village and basic-village, properly articulated with inner and outer networks and

scale facilities of each unit and each type of settlement.

Similarly and according to the existing factors of implantation all the island must be

structured maintaining clearly the areas of culture and the areas of non-ecumenical

reserves, arranging the diverse nuclei in balanced and coordinated way, without ever losing

the proportionality of its facilities, services, activities and population.

In the conformation of the nuclei, in the area at the moment populated, it seems valuable

to take advantage of the social conformation of Patriarchal or Tribal type, product to a large

extent of a violent segregation and reduction of the island and originated a century ago. It

is today rather little common in the world, but it is possible to expect from it some values

long lost in time.

We doubt nevertheless that, once eliminated the factors that made it last until today, it can

prosper in the future in a monetarist and materialistic world.

The present population of the island and its deplorable territorial structure are insufficient

to recreate a quality village culture that is freed of the charity and the social investments. It is

necessary to create a system of small populated centers, villas or villages, that fitting itself in

certain way to the original patterns of establishment of the island before 18

th

 Century, finds

its roll and its motor activity in the concert of all of them. In this system the differentiations

born from its functions and of its scopes will take place and the links of a lost culture will

be reconstructed.

The germ of these villas can take place, at the beginning, on primary agricultural activities,

fishing or mining related to secondary activities of crafts and elementary industrial

processes. Its recommendable size would be in base of groupings of 40 to 50 families.

Its population can partially be originated in the present existing inhabitants, the return of

some emigrants, and in immigrations from the continent selected out of human groups of

easy assimilation and similar customs, as chilotes and people from the Norte Chico or the

oases of the Norte Grande.