Call for Papers: Journal of New Zealand & Pacific Studies

Special Issue: ‘Rapa Nui Now’ – Issue 14.2

View the full call here>>

https://www.intellectbooks.com/journal-of-new-zealand-pacific-studies#call-for-papers

Academia has repeatedly approached the island of Rapa Nui through its past. Such is the monumental nature of the island’s archaeology that it overshadows understandings of the contemporary society and culture of Rapa Nui. But with a current total population that exceeds 8000 people, depending on the season, and which reaches across a myriad of artistic and cultural Indigenous expressions, there is a need to establish a stronger awareness of what constitutes the island of Rapa Nui now. For whilst the colonized island remains a designated special territory of Chile, it has grown in confidence, an independent voice and an ability to control and administer the heritage of Rapa Nui internally. The tourist industry, which has reached a limit in visitor numbers, is central to the island’s economy and it is where the artistic and cultural expressions are arguably most visible, not least at the annual Tapati festival which celebrates Rapa Nui heritage on a contemporary platform.

This Special Issue of the Journal of New Zealand & Pacific Studies, intended for publication in early 2027, will address a contemporary Rapa Nui and is primarily interested in the lives and practices of the people, in particular the Indigenous people, who live on the island now. Themes include, but are not limited to:

· Rapa Nui contemporary art, music, fashion and visual culture

· The annual Tapati festival

· The economies of the tourist trade

· Environmentalism on Rapa Nui

· The contemporary management of the island’s heritage

· Indigenous voices

· Decolonizing practices and protests on Rapa Nui

We welcome submissions from scholars at any career stage, and especially from graduate students and early career researchers.

Special Issue Guest Editors: Ian Conrich, Heather Waldroup and Rubí Gutiérrez Silva

The Journal of New Zealand & Pacific Studies is a double-anonymized refereed journal. Articles, accompanied by a short biography, abstract and keywords, must be between 5000 and 8000 words, including notes and references, and must be formatted according to the journal style guide (https://www.intellectbooks.com/asset/3182/intellect-house-style-guide-8th-ed.pdf).

Original interviews, research reports, review essays and exhibition reviews, between 1500 and 4000 words, are also welcome. The deadline for submissions is 15 November 2026. All article submissions will be subject to peer review.