"Its strange the way time moves here. Because the seasons don't change. It feels as though time stands still, yet everytime I look at the calendar, another month has passed by."
-An American teacher who volunteered on the Marshall Islands for two years
The average temperature of the Marshall Islands is eighty-one degrees...the average job for boys involves climbing coconut trees...school is held outside...
Its not difficult to see why the Marshallese natives don't keep track of time. Their culture is suspended in time; almost nothing changes.
How does it feel to live in the middle of the Pacific Ocean you're whole life?
Well, let's find out...
Its not difficult to see why the Marshallese natives don't keep track of time. Their culture is suspended in time; almost nothing changes.
How does it feel to live in the middle of the Pacific Ocean you're whole life?
Well, let's find out...
That's Interesting...
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The Marshallese have long since done away with the art of primitive tatooting, but before the missionaries of Europe came to the islands in the early 19th century, the natives would use a fish-bone lance and mallet to puncture designs on the chests, and stomachs of the tribal men, and the arms, shoulders, and thighs of tribal women..
They saw it as a rite of passage into woman/manhood, and as the only attribute that physical bodies could carry beyond the grave. The tattoos brought honor to an individual, as the inevideble ceremony was drawn out into a month-long process. The beat of a drum would be played the whole time, while a mat covered the face of the person being tatooed. Another characteristic of the early Marshallese was their extended earlobes-said to be the longest in the world. Their ear was pierced with a shark tooth, and stuffed with leaves, until the extensions were long enough to reach their jaw bones. These earlobe extensions were so long, that some natives could stretch their earlobes over their heads. |
Traditional vs Modern Culture
With modern and traditional perspective in the Marshall Islands, its all about location...
Modernization: Ebeye and Majuro
It's hard for me not to confuse how an atoll is doing because of perspective, or because they just cannot afford to modernize. BUT...there are some places in the Marshall Islands that just don't care. The Ebeye and Majuro Atolls are not one of those, however.
If you're going to visit the Marshall Islands for pleasure, Majuro is the place to stay, as its really the only accommodating, foreign-friendly atoll.
There's a couple of bars, pubs, and clubs which are mostly inhabited by foreigners and waitresses who are forced to come from parts of South-Eastern Asia. Majuro offers only little stores full of imported foods, which are also taken advantage of by locals, as seen by the rising levels of diabetes in places like Ebeye and Majuro. Majuro offers one of two actual hospitals.
Places like Ebeye and Majuro (and Kwajalein) are the only places in the entire Marshall Islands where there is electricity, and even then, there are power outages. The level of tourism in Majuro doesn't exactly demand much modernization, as tourists usually dub even Majuro "boring", "dirty", and "slummy", but that's just from a U.S. perspective.
There's a couple of bars, pubs, and clubs which are mostly inhabited by foreigners and waitresses who are forced to come from parts of South-Eastern Asia. Majuro offers only little stores full of imported foods, which are also taken advantage of by locals, as seen by the rising levels of diabetes in places like Ebeye and Majuro. Majuro offers one of two actual hospitals.
Places like Ebeye and Majuro (and Kwajalein) are the only places in the entire Marshall Islands where there is electricity, and even then, there are power outages. The level of tourism in Majuro doesn't exactly demand much modernization, as tourists usually dub even Majuro "boring", "dirty", and "slummy", but that's just from a U.S. perspective.
This is a recent picture of Marshall Islands President Christopher Loek (far right) at a conference in neighboring island Palau. As you can tell, he is wearing modern attire, which is not uncommon on Majuro or Ebeye.
Children wear shorts or skirts and a simple t-shirt, while adults rock the islander button-down casual style.
Children wear shorts or skirts and a simple t-shirt, while adults rock the islander button-down casual style.
Modernized work in the Marshall Islands would basically be impossible without outside help as of this point.
People with more modern jobs most likely live in Ebeye to commute to military employment on the nearby Kwajalein atoll.
There are teaching jobs available at a high-school level if you are a high-school graduate yourself.
Government positions are also common, as most of the upper and lower house are filled by mostly islanders, and there are 24 representatives from the 29 atolls in total.
People with more modern jobs most likely live in Ebeye to commute to military employment on the nearby Kwajalein atoll.
There are teaching jobs available at a high-school level if you are a high-school graduate yourself.
Government positions are also common, as most of the upper and lower house are filled by mostly islanders, and there are 24 representatives from the 29 atolls in total.
Surprise!...
Its not uncommon to see men in the modern world, and in the Marshall Islands seem like the "top dog"
But, as modern-day would have it, women are often seen as the underlying power of a relationship, making a lot of the "behind-the scenes" decisions. That modern way of thinking has seeped into the culture of the Marshall Islands! This is surprising, because in many Pacific Island countries, including the Marshalls themselves, there is a higher rate of domestic violence between spouses that goes unseen and unheard, because men have social standing.
Its not uncommon to see men in the modern world, and in the Marshall Islands seem like the "top dog"
But, as modern-day would have it, women are often seen as the underlying power of a relationship, making a lot of the "behind-the scenes" decisions. That modern way of thinking has seeped into the culture of the Marshall Islands! This is surprising, because in many Pacific Island countries, including the Marshalls themselves, there is a higher rate of domestic violence between spouses that goes unseen and unheard, because men have social standing.
Traditional Perspective: The Marshallese Way of Life
Yep. You guessed it...traditional wins this round! While there are some atolls like Majuro, Ebeye, and Kwajalein that see the need to progress, there are 26 other low-lying coral atolls that really just don't care...Why?
So,I would say it's safe to say that by my research, I found that a huge majority of the Marshall Islands is still looking through a "traditional" lens on life.
Arno is one of the least modernized places in the Pacific, with no electricity, no running water, no technology, and school houses are non-existant. These people see life as something that doesn't need a time frame, they just go day-by-day, unaware of the advances happening in the world around them.
There was a man from Arno, who was able to bring the island's first television to the island in 2007. He hooked it up to his truck, and played it each night for the local islanders. At first, it was a great opportunity for the community to sit together and enjoy some leisure time with one another, but soon the man said it became a huge deal. He got too tired of running these kinds of ordeals, so he sold the TV off the island. No one even missed it. This just shows the huge gap between the Modern perspective of the global community, and the traditional perspective of places like the Marshall Islands; an attitude like: TV? Who needs it! can assuredly be found in more than one place in the Marshall Islands.
Arno is one of the least modernized places in the Pacific, with no electricity, no running water, no technology, and school houses are non-existant. These people see life as something that doesn't need a time frame, they just go day-by-day, unaware of the advances happening in the world around them.
There was a man from Arno, who was able to bring the island's first television to the island in 2007. He hooked it up to his truck, and played it each night for the local islanders. At first, it was a great opportunity for the community to sit together and enjoy some leisure time with one another, but soon the man said it became a huge deal. He got too tired of running these kinds of ordeals, so he sold the TV off the island. No one even missed it. This just shows the huge gap between the Modern perspective of the global community, and the traditional perspective of places like the Marshall Islands; an attitude like: TV? Who needs it! can assuredly be found in more than one place in the Marshall Islands.
The biggest indicator of a traditional lifestyle is the way most Marshallese natives and locals dress, women especially.
Men can take on a more modern apparel, however, while it is actually considered very rude to wear anything above your knees, or anything without sleeves while walking on the streets of any atoll, even Majuro. Tourists are advised to carry at all times a wrap or a long dress to put on after immediately exiting the water. It is considered very disrespectful by most Southern/ Central Pacific cultures, including the Marshall Islands to wear anything immodest, and it is also seen as a sign to attract the eyes of men.
Women's traditional casual wear is like this little girl's dress, called a Guam. The nicer, cotton made dresses are called lava lavas or muumuus.
Men can take on a more modern apparel, however, while it is actually considered very rude to wear anything above your knees, or anything without sleeves while walking on the streets of any atoll, even Majuro. Tourists are advised to carry at all times a wrap or a long dress to put on after immediately exiting the water. It is considered very disrespectful by most Southern/ Central Pacific cultures, including the Marshall Islands to wear anything immodest, and it is also seen as a sign to attract the eyes of men.
Women's traditional casual wear is like this little girl's dress, called a Guam. The nicer, cotton made dresses are called lava lavas or muumuus.
The "work force" of the Marshall Islands is anything but, actually. There are very few hospitals to work at, and the two hospitals that the Marshall Islands has to offer relies mainly on American doctors; there are little fields in the education system, as there's a shortage on high-school graduates to even teach a high school course; and the many Ebeye natives who work on the Americanized Kwajalein military base resemble that of "illegal" immigrants going to work in another country because very few Marshallese are allowed to actually reside in Kwajalein and have to take a 30-minute commute to work each day. But, anything of this nature would not coincide with the overpowering traditional Marshallese culture...
Traditional Marshallese culture functions on societal gender roles. The men deal with things pertaining to the land, sea, and sky...like coconut husking, bird-hunting, and fishing.
The women of the Marshall Islands deal with things pertaining to the home, and usually make money on the side, by their talent with handi-crafts. The Marshallese women are excellent weavers.
In an island-based society, it isn't very crucial for the Marshallese to keep track of time, or even show up to things like school, because its too far away, or the parents aren't home to make sure the children get to school. When Marshallese migrate to America, teachers often comment on how they have to constantly tell the children's parents that its a necessity for them to be both at school and on time; its a concept that is not taught in this traditional living-comes-first setting. They have not yet adapted to the modern "obsession" with time.
Traditional Marshallese culture functions on societal gender roles. The men deal with things pertaining to the land, sea, and sky...like coconut husking, bird-hunting, and fishing.
The women of the Marshall Islands deal with things pertaining to the home, and usually make money on the side, by their talent with handi-crafts. The Marshallese women are excellent weavers.
In an island-based society, it isn't very crucial for the Marshallese to keep track of time, or even show up to things like school, because its too far away, or the parents aren't home to make sure the children get to school. When Marshallese migrate to America, teachers often comment on how they have to constantly tell the children's parents that its a necessity for them to be both at school and on time; its a concept that is not taught in this traditional living-comes-first setting. They have not yet adapted to the modern "obsession" with time.
Its not uncommon for a Marshallese family to have three generations of family in one house...
Though living spaces are cramped, family is a very vital staple in the Marshall Islands, and to live without your family beside you is to live a lonely life. Families sometimes take turns sleeping, because there are so many people living in one house.
It is also common to have a big family, regardless of additional generations in the Marshalls.
In Marshallese society, vs a modern society where the elderly have gone from being old and wise to being naive and "a burdon", the elderly literally outrank the youth. If you are older, you are therefore wiser and have a right to be in authority.
Though living spaces are cramped, family is a very vital staple in the Marshall Islands, and to live without your family beside you is to live a lonely life. Families sometimes take turns sleeping, because there are so many people living in one house.
It is also common to have a big family, regardless of additional generations in the Marshalls.
In Marshallese society, vs a modern society where the elderly have gone from being old and wise to being naive and "a burdon", the elderly literally outrank the youth. If you are older, you are therefore wiser and have a right to be in authority.