Former Congressman Faleomavaega Speaks at ASCC
By James Kneubuhl, ASCC Press Officer
This past Tuesday, April 14th, former Congressman Faleomavaega Eni Hunkin accepted an invitation from the American Samoa
Community College (ASCC) Social Science Department to participate in a forum on the subject of American Samoa’s
political status. Before a standing room only audience in the Lecture Hall, the former Congressman discussed at length
his experiences during his long years of service as American Samoa’s representative in Washington, and his views on the
Territory’s relationship with the United States.
The forum audience included ASCC President Dr. Seth Galea’i, Dean and Director of Community and Natural Resources Tapaau
Dr. Dan Aga, Dean of Academic Affairs Mrs. Letupu Moananu, and other ASCC faculty and administrators, along with
students, including representatives of the Student Government Association and PTK Honor Society, and members of the
community. Department of Education Director and Ex-Officio Board of Higher Education member Vaitinasa Dr. Salu Hunkin
Finau also attended, along with members of ASG agencies and the former Congressman’s own family and staff.
Following introductions from Mr. Evile Feleti of the Samoan Studies Department and the former Congressman’s niece Miss
Rachel Jefferson, Eni began with a brief summary of his years on Washington and his views on American Samoa’s political
affiliation with the USA. Since the publication of his book “Navigating the Future: A Samoan Perspective on U.S.-Pacific
Relations” in 1995, Eni has been urging the people of American Samoa to fully understand the nature of their official
ties to the U.S. and to consider whether changes to that relationship might better serve the current and future needs of
the Territory. “With all due respect to the United States,” said the former Congressman, “my concern is that if we don’t
take the initiative to make our own decisions regarding our future, then these decisions will continue to be made for us
from the outside.”
Keeping his initial remarks relatively brief, Eni opened the floor to questions from the audience, and spent over an
hour offering his perspective on many of the political and social issues currently facing the Territory. Audience
members expressed a wide range of concerns, including land issues, the composition of the Fono, immigration concerns,
and the recent controversy over American Samoa’s fishing rights within our designated economic zone. The former
Congressman remarked on how many current issues relate in some way to American Samoa’s political status as, in political
terms, an “unorganized and unincorporated” territory of the U.S.
Eni further pointed out how it is possible for American Samoa’s status to be modified if our people make the collective
choice to seek a redefined political affiliation with the U.S. As to what exactly that affiliation should be, he offered
no easy solutions, and acknowledged that all of the self-determination models used by other U.S. territories have their
advantages and drawbacks as applied to American Samoa’s unique circumstances and needs. Eni suggested that as a starting
point, American Samoa might benefit from a carefully study of the Compact of Free Association model currently in use by
the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau, all former
territories that have gained a higher level of autonomy while still retaining an association with the U.S.
Near the end of the forum, an audience member asked what students could do to help the future of American Samoa. “Get
your degrees,” Eni said simply, emphasizing how the better educated the Territory’s youth become, the better they will
be able to negotiate the decisions they will face when the time comes for them to determine what kind of balance
American Samoa strikes between its traditions and its future. With the audience questions having lasted right up till
the scheduled time for the forum to conclude, Eni wished the ASCC audience well and expressed his wish to speak to them
again in the future.
“As a department, we wanted to give our students the opportunity to gain a real-life experience that they can use in
their future endeavors, and we hope that they were able to come away with a better understanding of the political
concepts discussed in the classroom, and how it applies to their everyday lives,” said Social Science chairperson Mrs.
Toa’iva Fiame-Tago. The chairperson explained that the former Congressman’s presentation aligned strongly with the
Program Learning Outcomes of the Social Science Department, which include identifying and analyzing basic structures and
functions of government at the national, state, and local levels; identifying and analyzing international relations
theories of power, war, and peace; identifying and analyzing concepts and events in the American Samoa Government,
American Government and Public Policy, International Relations, or Public Law-Political Philosophy; and developing
career goals and plans for personal and professional growth.
“On behalf of the Social Science Department, we would like to thank Faleomavaega Eni Hunkin for taking the time to share
his experiences as our former Congressman for 26 years,” concluded Mrs. Fiame-Tago.
ENDS