[P
Descriplion and History: 1526-192
25
5. Thus. the current council reflects the demise ofthe traditional
division between Enjebi and Enewetak
system an d indicates that the old
l
now a representative
peoples has lost much ofits meaning. The counci is
d community
drawn from the entire population and reflects a unifie
ortant
bow’acknowledged common goals. The iroijs. however. remain imp
nce.??
wpures as advisors and men of influe
RELIGION
The church is the focal point for many community social activities of the
Enewetak people. The prevailing religious system is a conservative type of
group
Protestantism in which church services, bible Classes, church
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, it 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 agricultureis 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
home islands and ancestral holdings. The land parcels, or ‘‘watos,”’ on
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
resourcesofall ecological zones were thus available to the individuals who
held rights to the land. Less commonly, a parcel was divided into two or
more portions with transverse boundaries. This usually occurred when an
island, Enjebi for example, was very wide. Boundaries were usually
marked by slashes:.on the trunks of coconut trees or, less commonly,
ornamental ‘plants.. Also, other features of the natural topography, for
example,largeboulders 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