Amata Kabua

Amata Kabua was the son of a paramount chief of the Ralik Chain and a paramount chieftain of the Ratak Chain. He died in office after a long illness, on December 19, 1996, in Hawaii. He chose to be buried in his family property in Long Island going against royal burial traditions of Ralik & Ratak Chains as his Ralik family wanted him to be buried in the royal cemetery in Bouj, Ailinglaplap while his Majuro Kin wanted him to be buried in the royal cemetery in Laura. He chose to be buried in his family property in Long Island so his wife Emlain Kabua who is a commoner of the Ijidrik clan can be buried next to him because as a commoner, she will never be allowed to be buried in the royal cemetery in Laura however her great grandmother Limurelok (Kabua's wife) was buried in Bouj, Ailinglaplap in the Kabua cemetery. (Amata's older brother Joba Kabua also permitted his wife Jauni to be buried in the royal cemetery in Laura. However, due to certain restrictions, Jauni was not allowed her own space and thus shared the same burial spot with Joba Kabua having been buried on top of each other).

Tarjikit was also the first indigenous Micronesian of the Trust Territory ever to attend a United Nations Trusteeship Council meeting in 1953 with her son Amata as interpreter. While Amata's mother became the first indigenous Micronesian to visit the United Nations, his father Lejolañ was the first Marshallese to visit the White House when he met with President Lyndon B. Johnson.

Amata began his career as a school teacher then as a Superintendent to Schools along with Chief Clerk for the Council of Iroij in the 1950s. He was elected to the Council of Micronesia as a Representative and later as Senator to the Congress of Micronesia in 1963 where he also served one term as president for the Congress of Micronesia. Amata Kabua was the first president of the Marshall Islands in 1979 when its first constitution was implemented. That day was his 51st birthday. After his older brother Joba Kabua died in 1982, Amata Kabua inherited the Iroijlaplap title for Majuro Atoll in the domain of Kaibuke Tobinwa and certain parts of the Ralik Chain of the Marshall Islands in the domain of Jeimata Kabua. He later became the first president of the Marshall Islands when the nation received full independence in free association with the United States through the compact. He had been a principal participant in the negotiations to gain independence for the Marshall Islands and is regarded as the founding father of the modern nation by Marshallese. He wrote the words for the national anthem, "Forever Marshall Islands".

Amata Kabua (November 17, 1928 – December 19, 1996) was the first President of the Marshall Islands from 1979 until his death in 1996 (five consecutive terms).

Amata's father Chief (Iroij) Lejolañ Kabua was the son of Paramount Chief Iroij Bwio Jeimata Kabua of Northern Ralik (Western) Chain. Jeimata Kabua was the son of King Kabua the Great (nicknamed King John) with Leroij Bwio LiWodin. Kabua is also known as King John, who, on behalf of his father Iroij Bwio Jiba, led diplomatic relations between Germany and the Marshall Islands in 1885 through the Treaty of Friendship.

While Kabua the Great welcomed the Protestant missionaries safely on Ebon by offering his protection in 1850s under the guidance of his uncle Kaibuke thereby solidifying a royal connection to the Protestant faith, Tarjikit helped found the Catholic church in the Capital of the Marshall Islands thereby solidifying a royal connection to the Catholic faith.