Living Pattern Study:

The living patterns among the Marshall Islanders vary somewhat from atoll

to atoll.

However, due to the consistency of an atoll environment and its lim-

ited land area, as well as the limitations it presents to economic development,

reliable estimates can be produced if based on the average amount of time spent

at the various tasks necessary for subsistence. Tables 6, 7, 8 list the time
spent in various activities by males (ages 15-50 years), females (ages 15-50
years) and children (ages 6-14 years).

From information provided by the Tobolar Copra Plant which keeps copra production works for the various atolls in the Marshalls, it has been determined

that the islanders of Utirik Atoll produced about 113 short tons of copra between the Fall of 1957 to the Fall of 1978. Thus this averages to abour 90
lbs./week per person.
This copra production represents the output of 46 males
from ages 14 to 95. aAs all of these individuals are not involved in copra pro-

duction to the same extent, it is estimated that those actually working produced
about one bag (between 100 and 125 lbs.) per week.
This per capita production
at Rongelap seemed to be considerably less, while at Aiiuk it proved somewhat
more.
At any rate copra production ~ the main island commercial activity - could

not possibly exceed that possible during the hours taken for coconut collecting
and husking per week which we have used as the basis for island activities

estimates.
It has been estimated that plantation clearing (for undergrowth)
adds another 4 hours per individual per week to inland activities associated

with copra production.
[In addition to copra production, another two hours per
day of inland activity has been estimated for food gathering.

This is not to say that some individuals do not spend considerably more

than 26 hours/week inland.
The apparent range over the entire male population
is very broad, with some individuals spending in excess of 40 hours and others
as little as 7 or less.

The living patterns of women on the other hand, are noteworthy in the relative lack of inland activity. Some of the younger women are involved in coconut
gathering, and, to a limited extent, food gathering.
Some of the elderly women
are engaged in activities related to handicraft production, (such as gathering
of pandanus leaves).

patterns.
An exception to this is found only when actual settlement of a small
island for copra making purposes takes place.
In general, women do not go along

on the two to three day trips which the men periodically make for cleaning up of

ie

Female activities on the lagoon, at the shoreline and on other small islands of the atoll appear to be an insignificant portion of their living

the coconut plantation area.

- 22 -

i

ein

canoes and other vessels and the amount of time spent on the lagoon and at other
islands.

“.

In respect to male activities in the area of ship repair, a direct relationship was apparent between the number and state of repair of traditional

Select target paragraph3