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.