Valentino Riroroko Tuki


Valentino Riroroko Tuki is a claimant to the Rapa Nui throne of the Easter Islands. He is the grandson of Riro Kāinga.

Biography

He was born in 1932. He was the son of the youngest son of Riro Kāinga.
In 2011, the Rapa Nui Parliament unilaterally declared Riroroko as king. He was crowned later that year in July. Before becoming king, he was a fisherman and farmer on the islands.
Continuing the fight of his ancestors, Riroroko has advanced the position Easter Island should be its own country separate from Chile. 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 appears in the 2014 documentary Treasures Decoded: Easter Island Heads, in which he asks for the return of the Hoa Hakananai'a from the British Museum.