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UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII s HONOLULU, HAWAII 96822 DEPARTMENT OF ANTHROPOLOGY Atomic Energy Commission Enclosedare some articlesand a bibliographyof things written about the Bikini Marshallese as I have studied their adjustmentto other environments since resettlementfrom Bikini in 1946. I have spoken to Mr. Rasmussenrecently on the phone in regard to the proposed resurveyof Uni by the Universityof Washin@on group headedby Mr. Held, and promised to send ziLongwhat I have on hand relativeto this group. I am engaged this spring in final revisionof a 52>page manuscripton the evacuationdays in 1946 through their residenceson Rongerik and Kwajalein to their presentlocationon Kili. ‘l%isfirst study goes only to 1950, which is appro~tely the time the Navy Departmentgave over administration of the Tmst Territory(and the BiHni Marshallese)to the Departmentof the Interior. It is based on brief visits with the group at Rongerikin early 1948 when I made a survey of their situationat the request of the II&@ Commissionerof the Trust Territory; at Kwajaleina few months before they departedfor Kili, in 1948; and in late 1949 after they had made a bfief adjustmentto the new island. This study containsas completea review of their p~evacuation status on BU as is possibleto re construct,since very few recordswere kept by the Navy of the situationthen. I spent the entiresummer of 195’7and again 1963 with the group on Kili, end a graduatestudentfrom Universityof Oregon (RobertKiste, now at Universityof Minnesota)stayed on after I left in 1963 for four more months. This -teri~ which includesthe administration’sattempt at a Kili DevelopmentProgramin 195355, will be the subjectof a second book, to be startednext fall. Buring a recentvisit to Majuro (February&17, 1967) I discussedthe possibility of a return to BiMni for the community with DistrictAdministratorDwight Heine, since I had heard that a resurveyhad been requestedby the High Comdssi oner. Mr. Heine indicatedthat sane plans were being laid in that directio~ and that he hoped I might be of use to the administrationat such time as a decisionwas pend-
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Mr. Rasmusseninformsme that, on my recommendatio~ Mr. Jack Tobin has been persuadedto join the.prop~sedresurveynext month with Dr. Held. I think the studygroup is extremelyfortunatein securinghis servicessince he worked closelywith these people during his servicein the Marshallsas DistrictAnt&& pologistin the 1950’s, and made a specialstudy during this time of the group at Kili when resettlementwas for a time being consideredthen. The decision then was that no other islands were availableor suitable for resettlement,and the community has remainedon Kili. The essentialproblem with Kili is that it has no lagoon,and during the winter months is usually impossibleto servicefrom the sea; otherwiseit has many advantagesin agricultureand copra productionwhich Bikini does not or never did enjoy. As you will see from reading some of the enclosedar’Hcles,a ticlitish problemin the past has been the relationof the ex-Bikinipeople to the paramount chiefLejolsngKabua. At present this relationhas dwindled to zero. A return to Bikini$ however,will renew this problemsince Lejohmg has never relinquishedhis rights in that atoll. I mention this only to point out that a resurveyof wkini itself, in terms of its potentialoccupancyagain by man, is but part of the whole problem of resettlement. Fortunately,Mr. Tobin is very well informedon this situation,and for this reason also I am happy to see his inclusionon the Universityof Washingtonteam. At such time as Dr. Held and his party come throughHonoluluX would be G availableat any time to discuss the matter with them. I will be working this semestermainly at home, on my research,and can be reachedmore easily at 34-178 (if no one answers that number, try 944-8415,my office number and the secretw will take a message). Xt has occurred to me that Dr. Held and his group might find my manuscript very useful, and although still not publishedit should be obtainablein photocopy from Universitymicrofilmsat Ann Arbor, or directlyfrom Yale University,where I submittedthe manuscriptin its originalform as ~ Ph. D. dissertationin 1955. 1 have given pemission for it to be copiedbefore, and I assume that permission is still valid in those places. The changesI em making are relativelyslightand result from new and more informationreceivedfrom the people in my 195’7and 1963 field trips concerningtheir pre-19~ experience. Their memoriesby now have dimmed and become distorted,and I fear that on some topics the only informationavailable at all will be from my investigationof the 50 period during those years in