i
a
a
TROUT. TERRITORY OF THE ‘PACIFIC isis
a
ee
. Marshalls Pistrict
ke
a,
wee Tb
ANTHROPOLIGIST' REPORT ON SPECIAL UJELANG stain’ :
. Aerived Ujelang via U.SeMavy PEM on ‘pedday 10 Oct 1952, Two pregnant
vomen, an asthmatic male and their attendants (a total of seven people)
were sent to Kwajalein for hospitalization onthe return trip, the same days |.
we “Gifts sent by ‘the District Administrator consisting of soap. and “other
useful toilet articles were delivered tothe two "4roij® for distribution
to their people. Said gifts were received with expressions of great appreciation, The supply of toilet soap on the island had’ been almost |
completely exhausted. The only supplies available in the store were two
and one-half cases of defective matches.
The home supplies of rice and
flour were very sparse and canned goods were non-existant. (fhe last
field trip ship had departed Ujelang on 1 August after having loaded
aboard 18 tons of copra ($1,086.12) and off-loaded a, 109.40 worth of
merchandise, mostly food stuffs.)
a
"test" and-removal of the Ujelang people was held in abeyance to reduce
the period ¢of any possible worry and mentalanguish and anxiety to a’
eo
mt dy
The first weekon Ujerang was spent in renewingfriendships and
establishingrapportwith the inhabitants. Announcement of the impending —
‘A complete ‘and detailed census was taken; every household being entered
in the process of interrogation. A food consumption study was made of the
entire community for one week period.
In addition to these investigations,
familial relationship patterns, communal organization (economic, political
and social, were studied.) The writer found a well integrated community
which 1s essentially nothing more than a large extended family group of
lineal and collateral descendants of two main lineages.
.
These people ere hardworking and cheerful and are making a reasonably satisfactory adjustment to their newenvironment; (a complete anti-
thesis to the ex-Bikini people, now on Kili. )
.
Cne week before the anticipated arrival of the LST, the iroij and
scribes were told about the impending temporary removal of their people.
A Council meeting was immediately called.
The writer explained the move as
a protective measure to insure against remotely possible but not probably
damage which migh result from the testing of en improved bomb,
The atoll. people were made to feel that they were personally coopera~
ting in an inportant experiment to strengthen American (and ultimately) ©
their own defenses against aggression.
The writer emphasized that the bomb
would be dropped on Enewetak not, on Ujelang, that damage to their new home
ay Wh
5p
3 qo
was only remotely possible but the governnent did not want to risk the
safety of the Ujelang people.
Cae
‘
;
This exposition was readily accepted, understood
\
and appreciated.
Intense interest was evinced, especially at the announced prospect of
-l.
Inelosure 2
.
A