Culture of the Marshall Islands
The Marshall Islands is a tiny dot on the globe that many people are unfamiliar with. The Marshall Islands, situated between Hawaii and Australia, is home to 29 atolls, five islands, and an estimated 60,000 people. The islands are rich with a local culture Indigenous Marshallese refer to as manit. Elders of our nation are concerned about the future of our islands because they are seeing native youths losing their identities as Marshallese.
Two chains of tropical islands form the Marshall Islands: the northwestern “sunrise” atolls are called Ratak, and the southwestern “sunset” atolls are called Ralik” (Mulford 5). It is believed that Micronesians, such as native Marshallese, traveled from southeast Asia over 3000 years ago.
Culture is known in the Marshallese language as Manit. An essential portion of the Marshallese manit revolves around family and the clans from where each native originates. The structure of a family clan has been around for centuries and is still a large part of the native Marshallese’s identity to this day. All native Marshallese belong to a clan called the jowi — some people might have the same jowi while others might not. Every Jowi is led by a chief referred to as iroij, the head of each clan is known as the alap. Everyone else is classified as rijerbal, which roughly translates to ‘workers.’
Aside from social roles and family structures, many additional details go behind Indigenous Marshallese beliefs. As goes for any world culture, Marshallese Manit cannot be fully translated by a few words. Native Marshallese people attempt to showcase their perspectives on different topics related to their culture, beliefs, and personal opinions. Marshallese culture is in everything that natives do in their daily lives, which is why many Marshallese people today are proud of their culture and continue to spread the word of culture positivity.
One of the Marshall Islands’ proudest scientific discoveries is our island’s unique navigational system. The chains of islands, now known as the Marshall Islands, were isolated entirely from the rest of the world until European settlers discovered it since their transportation was challenging. Canoes were the primary transportation that the natives had, and they made trading between different islands simpler and more efficient. The system is still being practiced today in many different atolls and islands.
Native Marshallese use meto (stick charts) to navigate their way through the open ocean, no matter if it is Lik or Iar. Three stick charts are crafted for three specific purposes, the first one being “the “Rebbelib,” a general wave navigational chart that can cover all of the Marshall Islands or those of one chain” (Mulford 8). The second is “the “Medo,” which covers only a few islands and is useful for specific voyages’’ (Mulford 8). Lastly, “Mattang’’ or “Wappepe” it’s a small, square-shaped teaching chart that identifies wave patterns formed around a single island” (Mulford 8). These stick charts are made out of “thin strips of fond coconut midribs or pandanus root” (Mulford 8), then bound together with coconut sennet in different geometrical shapes and patterns. The stick charts are designed and crafted by native men of the islands, so it is a scientific achievement that belongs solely to the natives of the Marshall Islands.
There are three types of outrigger canoes in the Marshall Islands. The first one is the Korkor, “this outrigger paddle canoe is a 10–15 feet long canoe used for sailing or fishing within the lagoon” (Mulford 10). Next is the Tipnol, “an 18–30 feet long canoe used for open ocean and lagoon fishing” (Mulford 10). Finally, the Walap “is a large 100-foot long sailing canoe used for long distances” (Mulford 10). Every pacific island has its variation of canoes, but there is something that makes the Marshallese canoes unique. The Marshallese canoe has an asymmetrical hall, which means one side is round, and the other is a bit rounder than the opposite. This creates something that’s called a lateral lift. When the canoe is sailing on the windward side, it will cause it to drag onto the other side. This is only possible when the measurements are precise to meet in the middle. Finding the right tools and skills to build a Marshallese canoe takes years and years, but the Marshallese canoe culture differentiates native Marshallese from other Pacific Islanders.
A typical Marshallese household is organized among extended family lines, according to a mental health professional, Michelle Blessing, who explained, “this family includes many relatives living together and working toward common goals, such as raising the children and keeping up with the household duties.” There is a drastic difference between family life back then compared to life today in the Marshall Islands. In ancient times, roles and responsibilities were apparent between the two genders. As hunters and gatherers, women would gather fruits and bear children while men hunted and provided for their families.
Life on the islands is slow-paced. Aside from work and responsibilities, free time is usually spent socializing with friends and families. Considering that the majority of the islands and atolls of the Marshall Islands are small in size compared to cities of larger countries, and our population is very densely packed, people who live on the same island or atoll will most likely know each other. There is a high possibility of seeing every face on the same island or atoll as an individual — socializing in a closed community such as the Marshall Islands is more intimate than interacting with millions of people in the same community. A closed community allows more opportunities to build stronger bonds.
