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.