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-

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