Marshall Islands Legends and Stories (review)

Like the collector and editor of these tales, I have had the privilege of listening to many Marshallese men and women of all ages share their stories with me. Kelin's collection is refreshing in many ways, and disappointing to this anthropologist in others.

This collection of legends and stories from the Marshall Islands begins with acknowledgments and an introduction by the collector and editor that convey his enthusiasm and gratitude for the privilege of being "given" the stories that follow. In general terms Kelin describes the settings of the storytelling sessions, the assistance of translators, and the power of his story collecting experiences. As he states, this was a labor of love, as he trekked to eight of the Marshalls' 28 atolls, recorder in hand and often translator in tow. He sought chiefs' permission and respected storytellers' silences.

The text is divided into sections based on the geographic location of the tellers. Distinguishing between the eastern and western atoll chains, Kelin begins with the Ratak (eastern chain) and includes stories and legends from the five atolls he visited, as told by the 13 tellers among those atolls. He introduces each storyteller, offering a photo and a brief biological sketch for many. He follows the Ratak stories with Ralik (western chain) tales, representing three atolls and five dri-bwebwenato (storytellers). The biological sketches and comments about the personality and narrative styles of the tellers are thoughtful inclusions, and add much to the immediacy of the collection. Further, the editor opted to include many of the framing devices of the storytellers, and the comments addressed to his or her audience. These also engage readers, drawing them in and increasing awareness of the original setting of the stories.

Another successful addition is the use of pronunciation guides and translations of key terms in the margins of the text. Other collections of Marshallese legends and stories assume prior knowledge or linguistic familiarity. Kelin's collection contributes to the accessibility of these stories to non-Marshallese speakers, and encourages the reader to share his respect for Marshallese lives by using their vocabulary.

Beyond the above noted characteristics, this collection benefits from the editor's skills in storytelling and writing. His abilities contribute to the stories' entertainment value, particularly for a non-Marshallese audience that may be unaccustomed to the style and form of Marshallese legends. They are well-written and maintain a more natural narrative pace than most of the nearly literal transcriptions/translations of earlier collections. My favorite stories involve Letao, the Marshallese trickster figure and the ways Marshall Islanders have engaged this character to make sense of and fun of the serious challenges of social change. I also have a deep appreciation for the editor's decisions to include the storytellers' repetition of chants and songs. This decision highlights the persistence of ancient knowledge, genres, and common motifs. Many of the chants are conveyed in an older poetic dialect of Marshallese that requires difficult interpretation. The meanings are neither clear nor obvious. Their inclusion is an excellent means of preserving ancient knowledge, yet they also raise questions for me about language and translation that are not specified in the introduction. The narrative authority of the editor sometimes emerges at the expense of the many who translated for him. Which stories were told in English? Who did the translation on each atoll? At what point were the stories translated?

This brings me to my disappointments. It is now standard practice for folktale collections to include personal notes, biographical information on the tales themselves, as well as relevant cultural and historical material, maps, artwork, pronunciation guides, and source notes. These materials are not viewed as supplementary but essential to comprehension and greater appreciation of the folktales. Sadly, most of this type of contextualizing information is missing from this collection. The Marshallese artist Nashton Nashon's drawings at the atoll section...