within the domain of the Enewetak Island chief. After several months, the people of Enjebi moved to the adjacent Bijire (Tilda) Island which was within the domain of their own iroij. With these relocations, the dri-Enjebi and dri-Enewetak were no longer separated by the atoll’s large lagoon; and, while retaining their dual political structure, they had, in fact, become a single community.24.25 The consolidation of the population into one community and the new compact settlement pattern were continued with the transfer of the islanders to Ujelang Atoll in 1947. This atoll has only one sizeable island, Ujelang Island, and the entire population wassettled there. Navy officials established a dividing line at the midpoint of the island and allotted the western half to the people of Enjebi and the eastern half to the people of Enewetak Island. A compact village was constructed in the middle of the island with the Enjebi and Enewetak people occupying houses on their respective sides of the dividing line. Later, each group divided the land on its portion of the island. At a still later date, other islands in the Ujelang Atoll were divided among membersofthe two groups.26.27 During the first few years on Ujelang, the traditional political structure remained intact. The chiefs functioned in their accustomed roles and resisted Americanefforts to introduce democratic institutions. It had been intended by American planners that each atoll population be governed by an elected governmental council of elders headed by an elected magistrate, but this was not acceptable to the iroijs. By the early 1960's, however, some change was observable. Both chiefs were, by then, quite aged men, who had matured in an earlier era. Some of the contemporary problems required that the decision-making process be opened to include younger men who had attended schools and/or had some other experiences with aed a ee a ae ee ee compact village on small Aomon Island which, as indicated earlier, fell oe RADIOLUGICAL CLEANUP UF ENEWELAK ALULL eo ee ee ee eee 24 Le ce ee eo oo two groups. Thus, the current council reflects the demise ofthe traditional system and indicates that the old division between Enjebi and Enewetak peoples has lost muchofits meaning. The council is now a representative body drawn from the entire population and reflects a unified community with acknowledged common goals. Theiroijs, however, remain important figures as advisors and menofinfluence.2? RELIGION The churchis the focal point for many community social activities of the Enewetak people. The prevailing religious system is a conservative type of Protestantism in which church services, bible classes, church group meetings, and hymn singing have replaced traditional intertribal wars, sports, games, and dancing. The minister is the spiritual leader of the community and is supported and assisted by the two chiefs. The church functions are time-consuming and require a considerable effort from the membership. Sundays, in particular, are devoted almost entirely to church services and related activities. From this, il is apparent that the church influencesthe life of the dri-Enewetak to a great degree.30 LAND USE The atoll soil is basically coral rock and coralline sands with only minimal organic contents, so that the practice of agriculture is limited. For centuries, subsistence has been marginal and precarious for the island inhabitants, requiring hard work on their part. Despite this, the driEnewetak have always maintained a deep emotional attachment to their the American administration. Meetings of all males were held occasionally, and some decisions about community affairs were decided by a majority vote. The authority and status of the chiefs declined further in home islands and ancestral holdings. The land parcels, or ‘‘watos,’’ on the later 1960’s when the old Enjebi chief died and was succeededin office structure. The chiefs yielded to younger men who desired, and had been Enewetak Atoll were like those found elsewhere in the Marshalls. Most commonly, each was strip of land stretching across an island from lagoon beach to ocean reef and varying in size from about | to 5 acres. The resources of all ecological zones were thus available to the individuals who held rights to the land. Less commonly, a parcel was divided into two or council of 12 men were elected. Reflecting the traditional division of the island, Enjebi for example, was very wide. Boundaries were usually by his younger brother, who wasalso elderly and suffered the additional disadvantage of frequent poor health. 28 These events precipitated a major transformation of the political more portions with transverse boundaries. This usually occurred when an gaining, a greater voice in communityaffairs. In 1968, a magistrate and a Marked BY Sashes On tne tunks Of cOcomul trees Or, Tess COMIMOMY, ranks, and the people of Enewetak elected six from theirs. The magistrate became the head of the entire community, and the council became the ornamental plants. Also, other features of the natural topography, for example, large boulders on the ocean reef or the very configuration of an island, were used to fix the position of landholdings. The latter type of markers have been employed by the Marshallese after all other markings e people OF Enjedi ciected x COU : U AMON legislative body governing the people’s affairs. In a later election, the [2 — councilmen wereelected from the population at large, not equally from the —_., or ns UTC population,