Outlook gloomy for Bikinians’

idea of move to Maui

The possibility of the people of Bikini eventually moving to the Hawaiian island of Maui grew more remote as 1984 came to a close. In December, a federal official travelled to Maui at the behest of the U.S. Congress to gauge state and local reaction to a possible relocation by Bikinians.

The findings mady by Larry Morgan of the Interior Depart ment were almost universally disappointing. In his meeting with Hawaiian state health, eco nomic and educational leaders, Morgan discovered that there was great uncertainty about the possiblity. There were more questions than he had answers for: how many of the 1100 islanders would come; how many would need special educational or technical train ing; did they have special health problems? Morgan, director of legislative affairs for Interior’s Office of Territorial and In ternational Affairs, also visited Maui Mayor Hannibal Tavares and local officials.

But perhaps the greatest hur dle Morgan faced came from the community to which the Bikinians are thinking of mov ing. Morgan met for an evening with members of the Waihee community association. The Bikinians are considering purchasing a former dairy at Waihee, a 100-hectare site that includes beachfront land.

The feelings expressed at the meeting were entirely negative.

The residents were worried about a crowded school, about access to the ocean, about competition for jobs, and about possible social and racial ten sions due to their cultural differ ences with the Bikinians of the Marshall Islands.

Morgan, who travelled alone, said it was his understanding that the Bikinians did not want to move to Maui if they would not be welcome. Maui Repre sentative Joseph Souki told Morgan that after some Waihee residents met with a Bikini delegation earlier in 1984, “the feeling I got was that the com

munity was unanimously against (the move).”

The Bikinians cannot move to Maui, or anywhere else out side the Marshall Islands, if they do not get the U.S. Congress’ blessing. The islanders would need to use a $2O million trust fund established by the U.S. for relocation, but moves limited to within the Marshalls. Congress ordered the Morgan study to

get more information before making a decision.

According to a report in The Honolulu Advertiser, Morgan did not alleviate any commun ity concerns. However, he did say that residents could write to him and should stay in contact with their congressional delega tions.

“But that may not be an answer to some suspicious resi

dents,” the newspaper re ported. “Although Morgan in sisted he advised the Hawaii congressional delegation, state administrators and Maui Coun ty officials of his week-long visit to Hawaii, none told the Waihee community he was coming.

“The association apparently was advised Morgan was com ing by Ralph Villiers, a Maui realtor who had been working with the Bikini islanders in finding possible sites for reloca tion in Hawaii,” the newspaper concluded. Floyd K.

Takeuchi.