I know there's not a consent on this topic, but in your opinion how the island's inhabitants managed to survive for centuries in such a small and isolated place? And what are the reasons for its collapse?
A curiosity: There are any registers on the Rapa Nui world view? Did they believed that the island was the only landmass on Earth? Did they have some mystical vision of the "Distant Ocean"?
There is always more to say, and I hope someone with more time than I have right now will swing by with an answer that explicitly addresses your question. But I wrote a long earlier response on Easter Island that does discuss the history of the island, and also its longstanding links with the rest of Polynesia – so the Rapa Nui certainly did not think they were alone in the world – which you might find helpful while you are awaiting fresh responses to your query; you can read it here:
Did something like the Hunger Games take place on Easter Island?