within the domain of the Enewetak Island chief. After several months, the
people of Enjebi moved to the adjacent Bijire (Tilda) Island which was
within the domain of their own iroij. With these relocations, the dri-Enjebi
and dri-Enewetak were no longer separated by the atoll’s large lagoon;
and, while retaining their dual political structure, they had, in fact, become
a single community.24.25
The consolidation of the population into one community and the new
compact settlement pattern were continued with the transfer of the
islanders to Ujelang Atoll in 1947. This atoll has only one sizeable island,
Ujelang Island, and the entire population wassettled there. Navy officials
established a dividing line at the midpoint of the island and allotted the
western half to the people of Enjebi and the eastern half to the people of
Enewetak Island. A compact village was constructed in the middle of the
island with the Enjebi and Enewetak people occupying houses on their
respective sides of the dividing line. Later, each group divided the land on
its portion of the island. At a still later date, other islands in the Ujelang
Atoll were divided among membersofthe two groups.26.27
During the first few years on Ujelang, the traditional political structure
remained intact. The chiefs functioned in their accustomed roles and
resisted Americanefforts to introduce democratic institutions. It had been
intended by American planners that each atoll population be governed by
an elected governmental council of elders headed by an elected magistrate,
but this was not acceptable to the iroijs. By the early 1960's, however, some
change was observable. Both chiefs were, by then, quite aged men, who
had matured in an earlier era. Some of the contemporary problems
required that the decision-making process be opened to include younger
men who had attended schools and/or had some other experiences with
aed
a ee a ae ee ee
compact village on small Aomon Island which, as indicated earlier, fell
oe
RADIOLUGICAL CLEANUP UF ENEWELAK ALULL
eo ee ee ee eee
24
Le ce ee
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oo
two groups. Thus, the current council reflects the demise ofthe traditional
system and indicates that the old division between Enjebi and Enewetak
peoples has lost muchofits meaning. The council is now a representative
body drawn from the entire population and reflects a unified community
with acknowledged common goals. Theiroijs, however, remain important
figures as advisors and menofinfluence.2?
RELIGION
The churchis the focal point for many community social activities of the
Enewetak people. The prevailing religious system is a conservative type of
Protestantism in which church services, bible classes, church group
meetings, and hymn singing have replaced traditional intertribal wars,
sports, games, and dancing.
The minister is the spiritual leader of the community and is supported
and assisted by the two chiefs. The church functions are time-consuming
and require a considerable effort from the membership. Sundays, in
particular, are devoted almost entirely to church services and related
activities. From this, il is apparent that the church influencesthe life of the
dri-Enewetak to a great degree.30
LAND USE
The atoll soil is basically coral rock and coralline sands with only
minimal organic contents, so that the practice of agriculture is limited. For
centuries, subsistence has been marginal and precarious for the island
inhabitants, requiring hard work on their part. Despite this, the driEnewetak have always maintained a deep emotional attachment to their
the American administration. Meetings of all males were held
occasionally, and some decisions about community affairs were decided by
a majority vote. The authority and status of the chiefs declined further in
home islands and ancestral holdings. The land parcels, or ‘‘watos,’’ on
the later 1960’s when the old Enjebi chief died and was succeededin office
structure. The chiefs yielded to younger men who desired, and had been
Enewetak Atoll were like those found elsewhere in the Marshalls. Most
commonly, each was strip of land stretching across an island from lagoon
beach to ocean reef and varying in size from about | to 5 acres. The
resources of all ecological zones were thus available to the individuals who
held rights to the land. Less commonly, a parcel was divided into two or
council of 12 men were elected. Reflecting the traditional division of the
island, Enjebi for example, was very wide. Boundaries were usually
by his younger brother, who wasalso elderly and suffered the additional
disadvantage of frequent poor health. 28
These events precipitated a major transformation of the political
more portions with transverse boundaries. This usually occurred when an
gaining, a greater voice in communityaffairs. In 1968, a magistrate and a
Marked BY Sashes On tne tunks Of cOcomul trees Or, Tess COMIMOMY,
ranks, and the people of Enewetak elected six from theirs. The magistrate
became the head of the entire community, and the council became the
ornamental plants. Also, other features of the natural topography, for
example, large boulders on the ocean reef or the very configuration of an
island, were used to fix the position of landholdings. The latter type of
markers have been employed by the Marshallese after all other markings
e people OF
Enjedi
ciected
x
COU
:
U
AMON
legislative body governing the people’s affairs. In a later election, the [2 —
councilmen wereelected from the population at large, not equally from the
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population,