Abstract
In this chapter, I discuss three theatre productions created by high school Aldea Educativa in Rapa Nui. These productions were performed in the Rapa Nui language and were presented at the yearly Rapa Nui language day celebration, Mahana o te Re‘o. Through the production of these plays, students have been reflecting upon and responding to different issues arising through globalisation. The production Taŋata Tere Vaikava (2016) highlights the importance of fishing for the local Rapa Nui economy that today is threatened by international factory ships fishing in the vicinity of the island. The play Vakaroa (2018) reflects upon the arrival of the ship Nancy in 1804, addressing the historical alienation from cultural traditions suffered by the Rapa Nui people. Finally, this chapter will reflect on the global Indigenous repatriation movement through the production of Hoa Haka Nana I’a (2015), which discusses the commodification of Rapa Nui material culture such as the moai (stone statue), supporting the Rapa Nui campaign for the return of the moai from the British Museum. Theatre produced for Mahana o te Re‘o has been a powerful marker in the decolonisation of education in Rapa Nui as well as showcasing and celebrating not only the use of the language, but also cultural practices, stories and the way in which theatre is produced in Rapa Nui.