RESETTLEMENT OF PEOPLE
1946 concinuea
temporary.
Therefore,
they choose to
re-settle on nearby Rongerik Atoll, 125
miles east, although they recognize its
drawbacks: poor quality coconuts, un-
usable well water and many species of
fish which are edible on Sikini but are
poisonous at Rongerik.
flown to view the results of the first
atomic test.
Detonated over the lagoon,
the bomb had caused little visible
damage to the islands. When he reports
this, the Bikinians' desire to return
home intensifies.
OECEMBER Rongerik: The Bikinians' situ-
BIKINI ATOLL
.
JULY Bikini: Bikini magistrate Juda is
= —
5 Cra
Sy
Zo “
‘om
ation on Rongerik worsens.
Food shortages occur during late 1946 and early
1947,
1947 MAY Rongerik: A disastrous fire
damages an estimated 30% of the productive coconut trees on Rongertk.
Ovenan Pas
oe
a
Agrota Enermen Chan
JULY Rongertik: The situation on Rongerik
‘urther dereriorates.
A medical officer
after visiting Rongecik. reports the
Sikinians "visibly suffering from malBIKINI ATOLL, SITE OF 23
ANNOUNCED NUCLEAR EXPLOSIONS
aie
MARCH 7 Bikini: The Bikinians' first
relocation is accomplished with little
planning. The people are moved swiftly
from Bikini to uninhabited Rongerik,
whose 17 islends barely contain onehalf square tile of dry land surrounding a lagocn of only $5 square miles,
compared to 3ikini's 2.3 square miles of
iand and 299 square mile lagoon.
MAY Rongerik:
Less than two months
after their arrival the 8ikinians ex-
press anxiety over Rongerik's meager
resources, and make the first of many
requests to return home.
Enewetak: In preparation for the July
nutrition."
.
~UGUET Rongerik: An investizet‘:- hoard
:tpeinted by the U.S.
administration to
took into the Bikinian's plight neets
with the people on Rengerin and reports:
insufficient food, a bankrupt store,
Low supplies of water and cnly cne
trackish well on the island.
>a
Seare’s report concludes: "Tr sould aprear that their cepaurture from ronge4
rik has been
too
lonv
delaved.'
SEPTEMBER Rongerik: Harold Ickes, a for-
mer cebinec member under Presicene
rrankiin Roosevelt, in a naticnaliv
syndicated newspaper columm mares sericus charges against the Naw acrinis-
tration for neglecting the Bikintans on
'Rongerik and arouses a storm of eritic.sm.
BbI1100S
atomic tests at Bikini, the Enewetak
people are evacuated to Meck Island in
Kwajalein Atcll, and the Rongelap and
Wotho people are relocated to Lae Atoli
for the duration of the Rikini tests.
Rongerik: The people of Rongelap Atoll,
just <5 miles from Rongerik, catch fish
and prepare food and transport it bv
outrigger canoes to Rongerik to help
the Bikinians.
“The Seabees built a modei village on Rongerik
that anyone woulc
be proud to live ‘n...Th2 natives
are delishted, enthusiastic about
the atomic bomb, which has aiready
brought them prospericy and 2 new
cromising future.”
U.S.Navu press statement, april
i, 1946.
(continued on page 9)