Valentino Riroroko Tuki (13 February 1932 — 29 July 2017) was a claimant to the Rapa Nui throne of

Easter Island Easter Island ( rap, Rapa Nui; es, Isla de Pascua) is an island and special territory of Chile in the southeastern Pacific Ocean, at the southeasternmost point of the Polynesian Triangle in Oceania. The island is most famous for its nearly ...

. He was the grandson of the last King Simeón Riro Kāinga, who died in 1899 and belonged to the Miru clan, descendents of the founder and first Ariki Mau of Rapa Nui, the legendary Hotu Matua.

Biography

Riroroko was born on 13 February 1932 in

. He was the son of Juan Riroroko, the youngest son of Riro Kāinga, and Luisa Tuki. He married Andrea Servia in 1953. As eldest grandson of the last King of Rapa Nui, the title belonged to Jacobo Riroroko, who being of old age and bedridden with an illness, passed it to his younger brother Valentino Riroroko. The younger Riroroko was crowned King in August 8, 2011, in an official ceremony before the Rapanui Town Hall in the presence of the local Governor representing the Chilean government. The Rapa Nui Parliament, a local organism not recognized by the Chilean government, used this in their favor to try and coerce both Riroroko and the Chilean government to meet their agenda of independence, often speaking on behalf of the King without his permission. Continuing the fight of his ancestors, Riroroko advanced the position Easter Island should be its own country separate from

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...

. Writing for the ''Griffith Journal of Law & Human Dignity'', Leonardo A. Crippa writes, "While Riroroko’s coronation could be seen as merely symbolic, it may prove critical to the Rapa Nui Nation’s overall efforts to rebuild its government and regain control of its territory." Riroroko appeared in the 2014 documentary ''Treasures Decoded: Easter Island Heads'', in which he asks for the return of the

Hoa Hakananai'a Hoa Hakananai'a is a moai, a statue from Easter Island. It was taken from Orongo, Easter Island (Rapa Nui) in 1868 by the crew of a British ship and is now in the British Museum in London. It has been described as a "masterpiece" and among t ...

from the

British Museum The British Museum is a public museum dedicated to human history, art and culture located in the Bloomsbury area of London. Its permanent collection of eight million works is among the largest and most comprehensive in existence. It documen ...

. He died on 29 July 2017 and is buried in Miru clan territory next to Ahu Tereruti, the ceremonial platform belonging to his great grandfather. His wife Andrea died two years later, in 2019.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Riroroko Tuki, Valentino Rapanui monarchs History of Easter Island 1932 births 2017 deaths