AO 218 APPENDIX I PRELIMINARY ANTHROPOLOGIST'S REPORT - BIKINI ATOLL SURVEY 1987 vack A. Tobin Brief Historical Background The Bikini people nad lived on their atoll for many generations. They and their fellow Marshallese came under the domination of foreigners less than one hundred years ago. The German regime was succeeded by that of the Japanese at the onset of World War I. The Japanese rule was terminated by the American forces during World War II, Contact with the Outside World The people of Bikini Atoll were not the isolated twentieth century “Stone Age primitives’ as described by sensationalist news reporters and ever, less other sophisticated journalists. They were and are, how- than-other more acculturated Marshallese, but they had been in contact with the rest of the Marshall aspects Islands, and had been exposed least some of the of Western culture. Every two months a Japanese Purchase to at copra and to sell schooner food, clothing, visited Bikini and to other goods. Every six months a Japanese official made a visit to the atoll. Some of the Bikini and attended school people visited elsewhere. other atolls, married out, Other Marshallese visited Bikini. BEST COPYAVAILABLE eign 9sas