Bikinian Flag
The 23 white stars represent the islands of Bikini Atoll.
The 3 black stars in the upper right corner represent the three islands vaporized by the Castle Bravo detonation on March 1, 1954.
The two black stars in the lower right hand corner represent the islands of Ejit and Kili, where the majority of Bikinians in the Marshall Islands reside today.
The words MEN OTEMJEJ REJ ILO BEIN ANIJ (MORIBA), which translate as “Everything is in God’s hands,” is the response of Bikinian leader, Juda, to U.S. Commodore Ben Wyatt in 1946 when the Americans asked the Bikinians to give up their islands for the ‘good of mankind.’
Bikinian Anthem (1946), Peformed by Ejit Choir
Written by Lore Kessibuki (1914-1994)
No longer can I stay, it’s true.
No longer can I live in peace and harmony.
No longer can I rest on my sleeping mat and pillow
Because of my island and the life I once knew there.
The thought is overwhelming
Rendering me helpless and in great despair.
My spirit leaves, drifting around and far away
Where it becomes caught in a current of immense power
And only then do I find tranquility.
Credits: Translation of the Bikinian anthem and the description of the flag from Jack Niedenthal, For the Good of Mankind; the Bikinian Anthem recorded at Nuclear Victims and Survivors Day, Ejit, courtesy of Jessica A. Schwartz. Source: Official Website of the Kili/Bikini/Ejit Local Government