Although the Marshall Islands were discovered by the Spanish in 1529, they remained in practical isolation for over two centuries. Germany claimed the islands in the latter part of the nineteenth century and developed copra trading activities. Enewetak, with: the rest of German possessions in Micronesia, was seized in 1914 by the Japanese who continued the copra trade. Between 1939 and 1941 Enewetak was developed as a military base by the Japanese, and the local men In February 1944 U.S. military were pressed into service as laborers. forces assaulted Enewetak. Possession was won only after the death of 3,200 Japanese, 350 Americans, and 17 of the local people (Kiste 1975, Morison 1961). Following the battle, the United States established a large base on the atoll, and after the Pacific war the United States was granted a trusteeship over the islands by the United Nations (UN). In 1947 President Truman notified the UN that Enewetak was to be used as a nuclear weapons proving ground and the inhabitants were removed to OUjelang, 125 miles to the southwest. 2.4 ' The Enewetak People There are twopolitical-social subdivisions within the Enewetak people--the Dri-Enjebi, who occupied the northern islands, and the DriEnewetak, who lived on the southern islands. Although these two tribes had different chiefs and social organizations, they lived together peacefully and with extensive intermarriage for many generations. Both groups also now include people descended from intermarriages with the people of Ujelang. After the battle of Enewetak in February 1944 the people were housed on Aomon (Pigure 2) where they were supported by the 0.S. Navy until 1946 when they were moved temporarily to Kwajalein. They then were returned to Aomon for about a year and, in 1947, 142 of them were moved to Ujelang, a much smaller atoll (only 0.6 square miles of land area). In April 1980 approximately 500 of the people returned to Enewetak and now are living on the southern islands of Enewetak, Medren, and Japtan where housing has been constructed for them by the U.S. government (Pigure3). The experience of the Enewetak people on Ujelang has been docu- mented by Tobin (1967). The original Ujelang people had migrated to Jaluit in the 1880s and some later migrated to Enewetak. Although times often have been difficult on the smaller atoll, the transition to Ujelang was aided by these historical ties and the fact that it was uninhabited. The dual social structure of Dri-Enewetaks and DriEnjebis was maintained throughout the entire 33-year period on Ujelang and exists today. At the present time, however, both groups reside only on the southern islands, the lands of the Dri~Enewetaks. Given the very powerful cultural importance attached’ to land in the Marshalls, as well as its economic value, the Dri-Enjebi, not surprisingly, wish to resettle their home islands. ° 2.5 Weapons Testing Between 1948 and 1958, 43 nuclear weapons were exploded on Enewetak Atoll. Some were sufficiently powerful to obliterate whole islands or blow considerable portions of islands into the lagoon or the ocean. Many craters can be seen from the air as deep blue patches in the surrounding sea or as water-filled pools on the islands. The coral 9008324