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However, I was also told that some of the people would want
to be able to live on Kili, even if a return to Bikini is possible.
None of those with whom I spoke said that this was their
Wish however.
Apparently at least some of the former Bikinians
have made an adjustment of sorts of Kili.
connection with this,
to live on Kili,
I was also told, in
that even though some of the people wanted
everyone wants to go to Bikini first and see
their home atoli.
In order to evaluate this properly one would have to
interview the people now on Kili.
This would be premature at
this stage when the return of Bikini to its former inhabitants
is not certain.
On the basis of my past experience with the former
Bikinians and my recent conversations and observations in the
Marshalls,
I believe that the majority of these people will
want to return to Bikini.
Those few who have established
themselves on Majuro and Ebeye, with good jobs there, may very
well want to live away from Bikini at least during their working life.
A few others may see the advantage
of living on
Kili as long as only a small number of people share the natural
resources of that island with them.
Bikini will undoubtedly
still be the home base for all of these people however.
An
analagous situation can be seen in the populations of the
other Marshallese communities.
This prediction is of course based upon the assumption
that Bikini will be rehabilitated agriculturally,
people can make a living there.
so that the