i.

arrowroot plant blight, which is presently found throughout

the Marshalls,
ii.
iii.

increase in breadfruit tree parasite infestation, and
body pain or any other symptom that could not be explained.

The result has been that our efforts and services to the Marshallese have
been misunderstood, our best explanations have not been believed, in large
part due to education and language barriers only vaguely comprehended.

After

24 years, the people still believe that their individual islands or atolls
contain dangerous levels of radioactivity

(which they for lack of an adequate

word in Marshallese, refer to as "poison")
contrary,

and despite explanations to the

they are still concerned about eating island produce.

This situa-

tion has been further complicated because the islanders are culturally hesitant
to speak of unpleasant thoughts, they do not response to questions readily
upon interrogation, and they do not often reveal their fears and inner thoughts
at public meetings.
Early Educational Efforts
Recognizing the urgent need for an effort to mitigate the growing concern
of the Marshallese over what has happened since 1954, the predecessor agencies
of the Department of Energy
tion

(DOE), the Energy Research Development Administra-

(ERDA), and Atomic Energy Commission

(AEC), began developing methods of

communicating the medical and environmental findings to the inhabitants of
Rongelap and Utirik.

The most direct method used was the village meetings held

prior to and after a survey, when through an interpreter, its objectives and
the preliminary results were presented.

A "Question and Answer Booklet on

Effects of Fallout on Rongelap and Utirik"

(TTPI74) was developed by the Trust

Territory of the Pacific Islands and the Brookhaven National Laboratory's

Medical Division and circulated in July 1974.

This booklet presented answers

Select target paragraph3