Culture of the Marshall Islands

The Marshallese culture is marked by pre-Western contact and the impact of that contact on its people afterward. The Marshall Islands were relatively isolated. Inhabitants developed skilled navigators, able to navigate by the currents to other atolls. Prior to close contact with Westerners, children went naked and men and women were topless, wearing only skirts made of mats of native materials.

Land was and remains the most important measure of a family's wealth. Land is inherited through the maternal line.

Since the arrival of Christian missionaries, the culture has shifted from a subsistence-based economy towards a more traditional western economy and modesty standards have shifted to include women covering their bare thighs.

The people are friendly and peaceful. Strangers are received warmly. Consideration for others is important to the Marshallese people. Family and community are important. Concern for others is an outgrowth of their dependence on one another. They have lived for centuries on isolated coral atolls and islands. Relatives including grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins and far-flung relatives are all considered close family. The strong family ties contribute to close-knit communities rooted in the values of caring, kindness and respect. One of the most significant family events is a child's first birthday.

The island culture was heavily impacted by the fight for Kwajalein Atoll during World War II and the United States nuclear testing program on Bikini Atoll from 1946 and 1958. Former residents and their descendants who were ousted after World War II receive compensation from the U.S. government. This dependence on aid has shifted residents' loyalty away from traditional chiefs. The island culture is heavily influenced today by the presence of about 2000 foreign personnel on the Ronald Reagan Ballistic Missile Defense Test Site, which includes rocket launch, test, and support facilities on eleven islands of the Kwajalein Atoll, along with Wake Island and Aur Atoll.

The Marshallese were once skilled navigators, able to sail long distances aboard the two-hulled proa between the atolls using the stars and stick and shell charts. They hold annual competitions sailing their proa, a ship made of teak panels tied together with rope made of palm and sealed with palm rope. The sail was anciently woven from palm fronds. The islanders were relatively isolated and had developed a well-integrated society bound by close extended family association and tradition. Men and women wore only skirts made of native materials woven into mats. Children were generally naked.

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