Relations between the two communities and the traditional separation of the people were altered with the invasion of Enewetak Atoll. Because Enewetak and Enjebi Islands were devastated by the warfare, the U.S. Navy resettled all of the people in a compact village on small Aomon Island which, as indicated above, fell within the domain of the Enewetak Island chief. After several months, the Eniebi people moved to the nearby and adjacent Bijire Island which was within the domain of their own chief. With these relocations within Enewetak Atoll, the Enjebi and Enewetak peoples were no longer separated hy tne atoll's large lagoon; and while retaining their dual political structure, they in fact became a single community. The consolidation of the population into one community and the new compact settlement pattern were perpetuated with the islanders resettlement on Ujelang Atoll. [t has only one sizeable island, Ujelang Island; and the entire population was resettled there. Navy officials established a dividing line at the midpoint of the island and allotted the western half to the Enjebi people and the eastern half to the Enewetak people. A compact village was constructed in the middle of the island with the Enjebi and Enewetak peoples occupying houses on their respective sides of the dividing line, Later, each group divided the land on its portion of the island. At a stil] later date, other islands in the atoll were divided among members of the two groups. During the initial years on Ujelang, the traditional political structure remained intact. The chiefs functioned in their accustomed roles, and they resisted American efforts to introduce democratic institutions. (According to American designs, each atoll population was to be governed by an elected council of elders headed by an elected magistrate.) By the early 1960's, however, some change was observable. Both chiefs were by then aged inen; and being wen wio natured in a former era, some contem- porary problems required that the decision-making process be opened to include younger men «ho had attended schools and/or had some other experjences with the American administration. Meetings of all males were occasionally held, and some decisions about community affairs were decided by a majority vote. [ne autnority and status of the chiefs further declined in the latter 1960s when the old Enjebi chief died and was succeeded in office by his younger brother who was also an aged man and suffered the disadvantage of frequent poor health. The combination of the above events precipitated a major trans formation of the political structure. The chiefs yielded to younger men who desired and had been gaining a greatervoice in community affairs. Then, in 1968, a macistrate and a council of 12 men were elected; reflecting the traditional division of the population, the Enjebi people elected six councilmen trom among their ranks, and the Enewetak people elected six. The magistrate became the head of the entire community, and the council became the legislative body governing the people's affairs. In a very recent election, however, the 12 councilmen were elected from the population at large and not from the two groups. Thus, the current