Polynesian contact with the Americas has been discussed on HN before [1]

The article is talking about Rapa Nui, or Easter Island [2]. The article also talks about ecological collapse on the island; one of the books that promoted this is Jared Diamond's Collapse [3].

[1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=23771756

[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Easter_Island#

[3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collapse:_How_Societies_Choose...