The 23 white stars in the field of blue in the upper left hand corner of the flag represent the islands of Bikini Atoll.
The three black stars in the upper right of the flag represent the three islands that were vaporized by the March 1, 1954, 15 megaton hydrogen bomb blast, code named Bravo.
The two black stars in the lower right hand corner represent where the Bikinians live now, Kili Island, 425 miles to the south of Bikini Atoll, and Ejit Island of Majuro Atoll. These two stars are symbolically far away from Bikini's stars on the flag as the islands are in real life (both in distance and quality of life).
The Marshallese words running across the bottom of the flag, "MEN OTEMJEJ REJ ILO BEIN ANIJ" [Translation: "Everything is in the hands of God."], represent the words spoken in 1946 by the Bikinian leader, Juda, to U.S. Commodore Ben Wyatt when the American went to Bikini to ask the islanders--on a Sunday after church--to give up their islands for the 'good of all mankind' so that the U.S. could test nuclear weapons.
The close resemblance of the Bikinian's flag to the flag of the United States is to remind the people and the government of America that a great debt is still owed by them to the people of Bikini.
Interviews with Bikinian Elders
What follows represents a selection of interviews of Bikinian elders recorded and translated by Jack Niedenthal. Some of these elders are now dead. Their words and stories contained below are our gift to the generations of islanders that will come later: children who might just wonder about what happened to their people so many years ago at the hands of the U.S. government.
Emso Leviticus, a young woman at the time of the exodus from Bikini, recalls the transition from being under the Japanese rule to the American takeover, to their journey to Rongerik.
The torment and grief experienced during the two years that the Bikini people spent suffering on Rongerik Atoll has best been expressed by Lore Kessibuki, considered the poet laureate by the Bikinians. Rarely did the bitterness of his people's trials and tribulations show through his smile and the sweetness of his personality. However, whenever he was called upon by the media to do an occasional brief review of the Bikinians exodus, he always described the stay on Rongerik with an enormous amount of remorse and hatred. The situation on those islands was obviously a dreadful situation for the people. But it was felt deeper by Lore, for he was one of the leaders of a forgotten and starving community. He died in 1994.
In March of 1948, after two long years on Rongerik, the Bikinians were transported to Kwajalein Atoll and housed there in tents on a strip of grass beside the airport. The Bikinians fell into yet another debate among themselves about alternative locations soon after they settled in on Kwajalein. Kilon Bauno who, while alive, was the iroij of the Bikinians and earlier in his life, during the time of exodus, a councilman. Kilon died in 1992. Here is his firsthand account of life on Kwajalein and the decisions that had to made by the islanders, which include their transition to Kili Island.
Lore Kessibuki, who died in 1994, tells of problems associated with living Kili Island, the Bikinians home in exile since 1948.
Pero Joel, a Bikinian elder involved in the aborted move back to Bikini in the 1970's, describes below his experience of living on his traditional though radioactive homeland for the first time in 25 years.
Another member of the aborted return to Bikini was Jukwa Jakeo, an outspoken elder who died in October of 1988. To get ready for a future cleanup of their atoll, in April of 1987, a delegation of Bikinians went back to Bikini to reestablish the traditional land boundaries that run in a vertical fashion across the island from the lagoon to the ocean side. While on Bikini, Jukwa spoke about how he felt to be back on his homeland.
While maintaining the integrity and the corpus of their trust funds, it has been the goal of the Council to take care of their people--wherever they may be--and at the same time to continue to move forward towards the radiological cleanup, and ultimately, the resettlement of Bikini Atoll. Mayor Tomaki Juda and the now deceased Kilon Bauno reflect further on the future of the people of Bikini and their islands.
The Cultural Journey
Further interviews with the people of Bikini with regard to their proud heritage, customs & history.
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