Mikaela Rarama Pakarati Rossetti

"I am Mikaela Pakarati, daughter of Leonardo Pakarati, granddaughter of Mariano Pakarati Atan, and great-granddaughter of Leonardo Pakarati Rangitaki, son of a Rapa Nui father: Ure a potahe, the first catechist of the island, and a Paumotu mother: Tapeta Rangitaki, from the Tuamotu Islands.  My family is one of fishermen, divers, artists, and natural-born leaders. My grandfather Mariano was president of the Easter Island Development Committee, and my father was the first Rapa Nui filmmaker, who continues to this day to share our history with the rest of the world. On my mother's side, Paula Rossetti, who has lived on Rapa Nui since she was 8 years old, is the daughter of Ana María Arredondo, a historian, history teacher (like my mother), and the first director of the educational village. She married my grandfather Bene Tuki, a fisherman, diver, and a great representative of Rapa Nui culture around the world through the art of sculpture, primarily of the Moai. My family is a fundamental pillar for me, as I have wonderful role models within it, and they instilled in me from a young age a love for my culture, my environment, my people, and the importance of continuous learning."