Up to the 1940s the Marshall islanders, like most other Micronesians, were self-sufficient living off the ocean and land. we Brookhaven resident physician in cers among the Utink population. thyroid cancer at Utirik have strone:s shown that the theorv was wrong. Kotrady wrote in a stinging medical teams from the islands. Not the Marshalls. “Nowthe facts of the eritigque of the ERDA medical pro- gram. ‘The people ask if this thyroid problem has suddenlyoccurred is it not possthle that the experts have been rong for sO many vears and that mere problems will occur in the future?” Despite the inability of the AEc’s “eXperts to predict the thyroid can- they have adamantly barred outside until the Rongelapese and others re- fused to undergo the 1972 sec medi- cal examinations unless independen’ doctors participated were two doctors added to the asec team for that examination. Every year since 1984, the sc and later ERDA medical teams have examined the Marshallese people. and every vear they reassure them of their good heaith. When the people eventually began asking. “If nothing is wrong with us, why do you keep coming back every vear to examine us?" ERDa replied that if was a pre- cautionary measure. Although the AgC.ERDA has treated the Marshallese tor 24 sears. a studybv a special committee ofthe Congress of Micronesia stated. "Time and again the committee found that the people did not understand wavrhirg about their exposure, the possible effects on themselves and to their cnildren and on their environment.” Protesting what they considered inadequate medical care and to underline the monumental cultural clash between the U.S. medical personnel and the islanders. the Ctinkese refused a quarterly ERDA medical checkup on December 1976, and the ERDaA physician was re- called. “The people of Utirik are very distressed and angryas a resuit of the radiation.” the chiefs of the atoll wrote the Energy Research and 7 (left) Nuclear bomb crater. Enewetak - Atoll. below) Leaving Bikini. ‘. carrving pandanus leaves to build new houses on Rongerik. Suffering from malnutrition, the Bikinians are evacuated to 2 tent city on Kwajaiein. February 1979 The Bulletin 13