100 Chapter Four
8SZ2100S
for the chird male's parocipation in the survey parties are noe so
apparent. He, alab Al, headed the junior of the two lirge Makaolic} lineages. He had had some brief experience with Americans
at Kwajalein after the war (Mason 1954:306), and as a conse-
quence, may have been deemed more qualified chan others tor
the cask. Whatever the reasons for che latcee’s inclusion in the
survey parties, all three men who accompanied Juda acquired
more familiarity with American officials than their fellows and
gained greater influence as important molders of opinion in the
community.
With the exception of these four men, tose of the crac
tional leaders expericneed some eclipse of their former statuses
in community affairs. Perhaps the Bikinians bad fost some con
fidence in their leaders at Rongerik because they had been respon
sible for sclecting the atoll for relocation.
More cercuntly, the
Kwajalein sojourn diminished the traditional power and intlucnce
of the alab. Because they had no authority over resources at the
military base, many of their younger kinsmen became cconomi
cally independent for the first time. In addition, the Bikinians
as a group were exposed to both Americans and the Marshallese
of the labor camp who openly challenged traditional authority.
As a collective body, the council, the alab, lost control of com
munity affairs when the administration neither gave them real
responsibilities ac Kwajalein wor entrusted them with the selec:
tion of a site for their third relocation. Thus, by the end of the
Kwajalein relocation, there were some indications that alterations
were occurring in the traditional power and authority structure
of the community.