RMI Nuclear Justice Documents

401789
DOE Form AD-10A
(12-77)

DATE:
REPLY TO
ATTN OF:
SUBJECT:

TO:

jcarek -

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

memorandum

July 18, 1979
EV-2]

;

DOCUMENT FQR THE ENEWETAK PEOPLE
Ruth C. Clusen, ASEV

In keeping with the policy that the Enewetak people be kept informed

as to activities affecting their return to the Enewetak Atoll, we are

attempting to prepare a bilingual document in which we expect to
explain the radiological situation regarding Enjebi and the six
"coconut" islands, including dose assessments. This will fulfill
two obligations that have been given to the people:

1) In 1974 they were told that in five years. we would be able
to inform them how many years they must wait before residing on Enjebi.
(This was, however, prior to the decision to clean up Enjebi.}

The

garden plots on Enjebi and Eneu were subsequently established to assist
in this dose assessment.
2)

Last December, Mr. L. Joe Deal committed the Department to

return in May to fully inform the people with respect to a dose assess-

ment.

(This meeting is now anticipated later this year.)

It was considered desirable that DOE attend such a meeting prepared to

present a document for the following reasons:
1)

It clearly sets forth a written record that we have to the

extent possible attempted to communicate with the people in their own

language.

(Considering the language limitations and the cultural and

societal differences, this is extremely difficult.)

2)

It may be hazardous to rely upon an interpreter to convey the

content and meaning of the concepts and information to be imparted.

In order to prepare such a document, Battelle-Northwest has been working
on a draft of a document, including visual communication as well as a
“written text.

On June 19, Battelle staff met with Dr. Bob Kiste, cultural anthropologist
specializing in the Marshall Islands and consultant to Mr. Ted Mitchell,
Jack Healy and myself to discuss the content and format. As a result
of that meeting, it was deemed necessary to involve additional people,
including Marshallese, if the effort were to be successful.