Chapter Five

Vhe Kalb Resectleme ns

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Aimonp the first tasks confronting the Bikinians were che

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couscruction of dwellings, clearing of dense overgrowth thac had

engulfed the palm groves and taro swamp since ther abandon |
ment, and a rigorous program of planting subsistence crops. Build
ing a village came first, and the administration provided two

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months’ food supply to facilitate progress. “The people worked

hard during the first months on che ishind as they concentrated
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po.
on building their new homes. When the carpenter's mate left in

May, 1949, a cotal of thirty-five dwellings, nine more than ae ti
kini or Rongerik, were completed as well.as a clhrorch aad anare
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cisterns.

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Chet fads 194 oy

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171

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A redistribucon of power, influence, and privilege chat was

to occur in the community was foreshadowed as che tslanders
settled into their new homes. The Americans provided the set
;
clement plan, as they had at Ronperik. Houses were abnarnged an
a compact L shaped pattern. Mast were situated alony a iain

hey
Fsbo Bosteins
[| Vacsot Dwellios

right-angle of the L-shaped village plan is a dune dike senmcuie
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40
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The church was
eet.
or hil which rises abruptly to about
positioned on the hilltop facing the north shore and the main

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(6) Aluts 2

1A Alub E's so

dwelhnys, and in other instances they did not.

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cnteen were formed on Kili chrough

former units.
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451-452).

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As the dwellings were completed, Juda and the council al-

lotted them to family units. The factors which determined residential assignments are not certain. In some cases, families

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attribute

and eighteen in Jitoen. Another house, the chirty-fitth, was

placed onthe hill near the church for the pastor (Mason 1954:

eleven houscholds

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twice repeated uatit sixccen dwellings were located i pitaken
.

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i4 Alub 8

the

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it became Jitoen ‘downwind, co the wesc’. The procedure was
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In the second stage, a

few houses were buile mi the area west of the WCersec Cloth, atual

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4) Atal

which had formerly lived neat to one another receimwed adjacent

The houses were built in stages. In the first stape, several
were built to the ease of che intersection, and this area became
an

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QS Alub A
LY Adal T's‘Ss yor yeo bee

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Mup 7. Kili village, 1949. (After a map by Leonard Mion.)

roadway. A path which runs downhill from the church and in
tersects the main roadway at a righe angle became established
as the boundary between the two village districts when the dwellings were constructed (see Map 7).
known as Jitaken ‘upwind, to the case’.

h

yort
19) Ala A's
ab A’s yo ba
gh adie R's yer bn
1a) teen Headman (bled £8)

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J’ bokwiars se

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Th AkAT

O§ Alub B's st so

to houschokds of,

Others were located on che 75 yard

shore leg of che bE, which runs inland aca right angle co the
a
north shore forming the ease side of the village. Within the
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Divelligst belonging 0 Alat M

roadway, the long leg of the 1, paralleling Kilvs north shore fos

a lietle over 250 yards.

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House pispensa’y
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crease

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and the
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twelve

dn contiase to
act

che fis:

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We cotagee rth, Sak

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some

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mcreaye of a nuunbes o ne ra
preater munbder Ob

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Bikini

avaible

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WEEE ONS AG

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increase in the population. The number of Bikinians on Kili im

the wincer of 1948-49 had grown co 208 (tbid.:4 35). Mgdiciue.
from the dispensary had reduced the high infant mortality rate,

and Kili’s coconut groves had actracted some of the islanders wie

had been absent from Bikini in 1946, Most of these returned ex

pacriates had been living at Kwajalein and in the northern Rabk,

has

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