Kidenen Island
Kidenen Island in Majuro. Photo: Karen Earnshaw
By SUZANNE CHUTARO
Just 12 miles from downtown Majuro is a little island known to the locals as “Murphy’s Island”. Murphy, however, prefers to call it “Three Bag Island”, while traditionally its label is Kidenen.
For the sake of this article, though, we’ll call it Three Bag Island. Why Three Bag Island? Well, while you’re in the Marshall Islands, you’ll learn that the main cash crop has historically been copra — dried up coconut meat that is used to make oils for cooking or using as body lotions or politically correct fuel.
Making copra is a back-breaking process that has little return. But when you live on resource-poor atoll, you have no choice but to make copra.
In the mid-1980s, Murphy approached the traditional land owners of Kidenen Island and asked if they would like to sell the speck of coral. They were eager to do business. Then, just before closing the deal, the landowner — a 90-year-old man with a back hunched over from years of making copra — told Murphy: “Emon eneo. Lukon emon. Jilu bag.” (“Great island. Really good. Three bags.”)
“Three bags?” said Mr. Murphy. “What do you mean by that?”
“Ah,” said the old man, “Kidenen produces three bags of copra a year.”
And with that the deal was done and Kidenen Island became Three Bag Island.
Back in the day, Three Bag Island was a small eco-resort. Sadly, it is no longer open to guests.
Opened to the public in the late 1990s, Three Bag Island offers visitors and locals with a quick get-a-way option.
