It also further emphasizes to the people that the United Stales really does
not know what the effects of radiation are. The idea that one control group
based at Rongelap can serve for the Utirik people might also be wrong.
The people at Utirik differ from those at Rongelap inasmuch as they received less
radiation and returned to their island sooner such that the two groups maybe
cannot be compared equally.

The people at Utirik sense that the Brookhaven doctors are always in
a rush to leave their island.

The doctors always spend less time at Utirik

than at Rongelap and the people knowthis fact.

They feel that the doctors

have no interest in seeing the unexposed people. Doctors have come with a
list of people to be seen and others are seen only if time-permits. According
to the magistrate and chief at Utirik, until my visits to the island, there has
“been no AEC doctor who has wanted to examine the exposed and unexposed
‘people on an equal basis. The unexposed people were made to feel unwanted
at the "sick call clinics" in the past.
The recent discoveries of thyroid cancer at Utirik and the peoples
fear that all effects of radiation are still unknownpoints to ‘another area of
concern of the people. It-is a concern by the people of Utirik and also

expressed at Rongelap, as to their desire to have a program that will be
able to detect even the most subtle effects.

At Rongelap, the people expressed

the view that the doctors could never miss a thyroid nodule but worry that
other problems might go undetected. The health aide cites two cases in the
past cases in which the survey reportedly found normal examinations yet
witnin a iew inonths the peopie became seriously lil and on examination on
Majuro were found to have terminal cancer problems. ‘The people express
their concerns as a need for a more general comprehensive examination
program along with the specialists who accompany the team. At Utirik the
additional request is made for yearly detailed examinations rather than tri-yearly
as is presently done. At the same time, the people see the general physician
as being someone to treat all their problems.

Another problem shared by both the people of Rongelap and Utirik
is a concern for the program's lack of desire to examine their children ona
yearly basis. It is the people's concept of a doctor treating everyone that
leads to differing views about examining children of the exposed population.

As parents everywhere, Marshallese worry about the health of their children.
For the parents at Rongelap and Utirik, there is the added fear of the radiation
and if it will affect their children. This fear was intensified when new thyroid
effects were found at Utirik. ‘They fail to understand why the program does

not want to conduct active examinations on the children.

The program contends

that after one screening examination, a chromosome study, and Japanese
studies, that experts say there is no need to worry as nothing will occur.
Yet the people have heard this response before, have seen the experts to
have been wrong (as the thyroid cancer at Utirik pointed out), and they worry
that something might show up in the children. Curiously, the Marshall
Islands are different than Japan. In Japan, there is a large norma! gene pool
to dilute out changes while in the Marshalls the custom of intermarriage of

families on the islands might select out effects.

quan,

5011399

9

he Marshallese received

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