RESETTLEMENT OF PEOPLE
1947 continued
OCTOBER Rongerik: Navy officials an-
mounce the Bikinians will be moved to
Ujelang, the western-most atoll in the
Marshalls.
NOVEMBER 22 Ujelang: Ten Bikini men and
20 Navy Seabees go to Ujelang and begin
construction of a new village.
DECEMBER 2 Enewetak:
The Navy announces
that Enewetak Atoll will be used for
the second series of nuclear tests, and
its inhabitants mist be moved immediate- - Fj
ly.
inhabited Ujelang, and the Bikinians
remain at Rongerik, despite having
built housing at Ujelang.
Ujelang: The atoll has only one-third
the land area of Enewetak's 2.26 square
miles and a much smaller lagoon: 25
miles compared to Enewetak's 390 square
miles.
1948 JANUARY Rongerik: University of
Hawaii anthropologist Leonerd Mason
arrives on Rongerik to independently
assess the situation for the Trust Territory High Commissioner...
THE BIKINIANS ARE MOVED INTO A
TEMPORARY TENT CAMP ON KWAJALEIN
FOR SIX MONTES DURING 1948, AS
THEY LOOK FOR A NEW HOME.
Photo by Leonard Mason
~~
FEBRUARY Rongerik: During Dr. Mason's
second week on Rongerik, he is joined
by a Trust Territory representative who
immediately notifies the administration
of the critical conditions.
Within 24
hours, a medical officer and food are
flown to Rongerik.
After examining the
Bikinians, the doctor states their condition to be that of a starving people.
MARCH 14 Rongerik: The Bikinians are
evacuated from Rongerik and taken to a
temporary camp at the Navy base on Kwajalein.
The Rongerik resettlement attempt has laSted two years and one week.
APRIL Kwajalein: A search begins for an
alternative resettlement site for the
Bikinians.
JUNE 1 Kwajalein: After consideration of
several atolls, the Bikini people vote
in favor of moving to Kili Island, primarily because it is uninhabited and not
ml celedicatedfol
controlled by a paramount chief.
SEPTEMBER Kili: An advance party of 24
Bikini men and 8 Seabees arrive on Kili
THE BIKINIANS, STARVING ON RONGERIK
ATOLL, ARE EVACUATED A SECOND TIME
BY THE NAVY IN 1948.
a
9002004
to begin construction of a new village. ~
Because of rough seas, lumber, roofing
and tools for constructing the village
have to be brought ashore on rafts.
(continued on page 11)
‘
DECEMBER 21] Enewetak: The 145 people of
Enewetak are quickly relocated to un-