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Historical Background
The present inhabitants of Ujilang Atoll are the former inhabitants of
Enewetak Atoll. Hore than twenty-five years ago they were moved en masse
from their home atoll to make way for the testing of nuclear weapons by tne
Unites States. In order to wmderstand
the present situation, we must examine
the history of this group, and how they arrived at their present location.
A summary of pertinent events is herewith presented.
The Enewetak People say that they have always lived on Enewetak Atoll as
far as they know, and that "there have always been two chiefs (iroij) and
two grouns, because there are two big islands: Enjebi and snewetak."
{At one time in the distant past there was a third socio-political unit on
the southeastern part of the atoll, called Wurrin. This was absorbed by the
Enewetak group).
The people state that they are the people of Enjebi Island
and the people of Enewetak Island who lived on the atoll of Enewetak. They
claim that the two grovps have never warred against each other but have
always cooperated very closely.
(For all practical purposes the Enewetak People are one group today. This
is due to intermarriage over the years and the intense in-group feeling the
people have).
According to those who know the history of their peoples; the chiefs, the
wise old men and women, and those few of the younger people who have learned
the ancient lore from their elders, four separate groups of Marshallese
arrived on Enewetak Atoll before the coming of the suropeans. These cane from
the atolls of Bikini, Ujae, Jotto, and other atolls may miles to the east of
Enewetak, These invaders, apparently castaways, either fought the Unewetak
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