Through Our Eyes: Mapping the Effects of Relocation due to Nuclear Testing in the Marshall Islands through Arts Based Research

Abstract


 
 
 
 Arts Based Research (ABR) provides a fresh lens on the effects of relocation. Personal narratives and photography (Photovoice) from Marshallese youth allow for an analysis of the effects of relocation on the Pacific Islanders from Bikini and Kwajalein Atolls due to the results of nuclear testing. The narratives and photography were collected during the Marshallese Arts Project led by Dr Michelle Keown from the University of Edinburgh from 2017 to 2018. The Through Our Eyes project was facilitated with the descendants of these Atolls, from five schools, in the relocated communities of Majuro, Ejit, Ebeye in the Marshall Islands and Honolulu, USA. The photographs and narratives reveal complex layers of information on the needs of the individual and the community as a whole.The participant’s responses varied drastically depending on where their families were relocated.