For the Good of Mankind

For the Good of Mankind: A History of the People of Bikini and their Islands by Jack Niedenthal, 2001. Majuro, Marshall Islands: Bravo Publishers, $16.95, 226 pp.

Anthropologists throughout the world spend significant time and ink chronicling lost cultures and dying languages. Frequently, such social scientists attempt to approach a culture objectively (as they might define such a word), draw broader conclusions from their case study, and leverage their newfound knowledge for academic promotions or designations as a "world expert in the culture of...." Niedenthal is not this type of anthropologist. In fact, he is not an anthropologist at all but rather a dedicated adopted member of the Marshallese community who  has compiled here an impressive number of first-hand accounts from the of the Bikinians in the sixty years since the United States tested its first atomic weapon on Bikini atoll. Peppered throughout the accounts are the author's own observations from the past three decades he has dedicated to the Bikinians. Although the book could have used a professional editor and the flow of the narrative is jarring at times, the underlying material is so impressive as to overwhelm any stylistic flaws.

The Bikinians left their island in 1946, accepting the statement of Commodore Ben Wyatt at the time that the move would be temporary and that doing so would be "for the good of mankind and to end all world wars." For the next three years, the 167 islanders would be relocated on Rongerik, then Kwajalein, then Kili Island. Each temporary home was unable to sustain the growing community. While Kili became something of a permanent home, it lacked a lagoon and could not naturally supply the people with food or shelter from the ocean. For twelve years Bikini and Enewetak atolls would be the location for over 60 nuclear tests. After 25 years, some were allowed to return to Bikini atoll only to have medical researchers report six years later, in 1978, that some exhibited high levels of radiation. The island was again evacuated. Today, there are no permanent residents on Bikini, but over 4,000 Marshallese trace their heritage to the island and are dispersed throughout the Marshall Islands and the United States.

Their six decades as an internally displaced population has not been entirely negative for the Bikinians however. Trust funds established by the United States government and medical treatment programs ensure that Bikinians have some of the highest living standards and longest life expectancies of all Marshallese. King Juda, the Iroij (high chieftain) of the Bikinians said "Everything is in the hands of God," And in the stories that Niedenthal has compiled here, we catch a glimpse of that quiet fortitude that enables the Bikinians to live and thrive even in difficult circumstances.

Even though it has been over 50 years since the United States tested nuclear weapons in the Marshall Islands, feelings are still raw and misunderstandings abound. I applaud the author for going beyond the nuclear angle of the Bikinian's plight and writing about the individualities, histories, and personal observations of the community. Niedenthal states in the introduction that he got the idea of recording the stories of some of the Bikini elders after discovering that some of their own offspring were unaware of the community's recent history. But he goes beyond a mere oral history compilation. Marshallese are excellent storytellers, but they won't just tell them to anyone. Jack has earned their trust through years of dedicated service, and the level of detail and emotion in each story is evidence of that fact.

The book lacks a strong overall narrative, and typesetting and design is relatively crude. But given that this book was written ten years ago and produced in the Marshall Islands, I am impressed that it was published at all. Books like these that tell the important story of marginalized and small communities will never make much money. But the stories are important nonetheless and are an important reminder of the hidden costs to the Cold War, nuclear weapons, and global realpolitik.