IV
House Calendar No. 208
106TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. RES. 443
[Report No. 106–582]
Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives with regard to the
centennial of the raising of the United States flag in American Samoa.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MARCH 16, 2000
Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA (for himself, Mr. YOUNG of Alaska, Mr. GEORGE MILLER
of California, Mr. DOOLITTLE, Mr. JOHN, Mrs. NAPOLITANO, Mr. ORTIZ,
and Mr. ROMERO-BARCELO´) submitted the following resolution; which
was referred to the Committee on Resources
APRIL 13, 2000
Additional sponsors: Mrs. CHRISTENSEN, Mr. GIBBONS, Mr. KILDEE, Mr.
PICKETT, Mr. UDALL of Colorado, Mr. UNDERWOOD, and Mr. ABERCROMBIE
APRIL 13, 2000
Reported with an amendment, referred to the House Calendar, and ordered
to be printed
[Strike out the preamble and insert the part printed in italic]
RESOLUTION
Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives with
regard to the centennial of the raising of the United
States flag in American Samoa.
Whereas the people of American Samoa have inhabited
Tutuila and the Manu’a Islands for at least 4,000
•HRES 443 RH
years and developed a unique and autonomous sea-
faring and agrarian culture, governing themselves
through their own form of government;
Whereas in 1722, Dutch explorer Jacob Roggeveen be-
came the first European to sight—but not land on—
the shores of the Samoan Islands, islands which re-
mained
isolated
for
another
years
because
Roggeveen miscalculated their location;
Whereas in 1768, French explorer Louis Antoine de Bou-
gainville, the second European to sight the Samoan
islands, became so impressed with the sailing skills of
the natives he named the islands ‘‘L’Archipel des
Navigateurs,’’ and for generations thereafter the en-
tire Samoan island group was known to the Western
World as the ‘‘Navigator Islands’’;
Whereas in 1787, Frenchman Jean Francois La Perouse
landed on the shores of these islands and thus began
the ‘‘opening’’ of Samoa to the West, with American
whalers as the principal group to engage the people
of Samoa in trade and commerce, followed from 1830
on by English missionaries;
Whereas in 1839, as part of a congressionally authorized
trip to the Pacific, United States Navy commander
Charles Wilkes visited the island of Tutuila and later
reported favorably in support of establishing a struc-
•HRES 443 RH
tured relationship between the island and the United
States;
Whereas on March 2, 1872, Richard Meade, commander
of the U.S.S. Narragansett, visited Pago Pago, and,
on his own responsibility, made an agreement with
High Chief Mauga entitled ‘‘Commercial Regulations,
etc.,’’ which was submitted to, but never ratified by,
the Senate;
Whereas on February 13, 1878, a ‘‘treaty of friendship
and commerce with the people of Samoa’’ was pro-
claimed ratified;
Whereas on May 21, 1890, a treaty between the United
States, Germany, and Great Britain, and assented to
by the Samoan Government, ‘‘to provide for the secu-
rity of the life, property and trade of the citizens and
subjects of their respective Governments residing in,
or having commercial relations with the Islands of
Samoa,’’ was proclaimed ratified;
Whereas the treaties of 1878 and 1890 were annulled by
a treaty of December 2, 1899, between the United
States, Germany, and Great Britain;
Whereas on April 17, 1900, the traditional chiefs of the
South Pacific Islands of Tutuila and Aunu’u agreed
to become a part of the United States, and the United
•HRES 443 RH
States flag was raised on what is now known as the
United States Territory of American Samoa;
Whereas since that time, the residents of American Samoa
have been proud of their affiliation with this great Na-
tion and have demonstrated their loyalty and patriot-
ism in countless ways;
Whereas April 17 is known as Flag Day in American
Samoa and is the biggest holiday in the territory, and
is celebrated not only in American Samoa, but
throughout the United States wherever there is a siz-
able Samoan community;
Whereas American Samoans in Hawaii, California, Ne-
vada, Utah, Alaska, Washington, and other parts of
the United States pause each year on this important
date to celebrate this monumental occasion in Amer-
ican Samoa’s history;
Whereas the per capita rate of enlistment in the Armed
Forces is as high for American Samoa as for any
State
or
territory,
with
hundreds
of
American
Samoans enlisting annually;
Whereas for decades American Samoa served as a Naval
coaling station for United States ships in the Pacific,
providing the Nation with what is commonly referred
to as the best deep-water harbor in the entire Pa-
cific—a harbor where American ships are protected
•HRES 443 RH
Whereas local government leaders in American Samoa
have been preparing for this centennial celebration for
the last three years; and
Whereas although 100 years have elapsed since the forma-
tion of this mutually beneficial relationship, American
Samoans today—as did their forebears in 1900—re-
main deeply thankful and appreciative of the benefits
they have received and continue to receive as a result
of the unique relationship American Samoa shares
with this great Republic, and they are proud that in
return for the benefits received under this relation-
ship, they actively contribute economically, militarily,
and culturally to the health and well-being of this
great Nation: Now, therefore, be it
Whereas the people of American Samoa have inhabited
Tutuila and the Manu’a Islands for at least 3,000 years
and developed a unique and autonomous seafaring and
agrarian culture, governing themselves through their
own form of government;
Whereas in 1722, Dutch explorer Jacob Roggeveen became
the first European to sight—but not land on—the
shores of the Samoan Islands, islands which remained
isolated for another 46 years because Roggeveen miscal-
culated their location;
•HRES 443 RH
Whereas in 1768, French explorer Louis Antoine de Bou-
gainville, the second European to sight the Samoan is-
lands, became so impressed with the sailing skills of
the natives he named the islands ‘‘L’Archipel des
Navigateurs,’’ and for generations thereafter the entire
Samoan island group was known to the Western World
as the ‘‘Navigator Islands’’;
Whereas in 1787, Frenchman Jean Francois La Perouse
landed on the shores of these islands and thus began
the ‘‘opening’’ of Samoa to the West, with American
whalers as the principal group to engage the people of
Samoa in trade and commerce, followed from 1830 on
by English missionaries;
Whereas in 1839, as part of a congressionally authorized
trip to the Pacific, United States Navy commander
Charles Wilkes visited the island of Tutuila and later
reported favorably in support of establishing a struc-
tured relationship between the island and the United
States;
Whereas on March 2, 1872, Richard Meade, commander of
the U.S.S. Narragansett, visited Pago Pago, and, on
his own responsibility, made an agreement with High
Chief Mauga entitled ‘‘Commercial Regulations, etc.,’’
which was submitted to, but never ratified by, the Sen-
ate;
•HRES 443 RH
Whereas on February 13, 1878, a ‘‘treaty of friendship and
commerce with the people of Samoa’’ was proclaimed
ratified;
Whereas on June 14, 1889, a treaty known as the General
Act of 1889, between the United States, Germany, and
Great Britain, and assented to by the Samoan Govern-
ment, ‘‘to provide for the security of the life, property
and trade of the citizens and subjects of their respective
Governments residing in, or having commercial rela-
tions with the Islands of Samoa,’’ was concluded and
later ratified;
Whereas on December 2, 1899, a tripartite treaty between
the United States, Germany, and Great Britain, which
provided for the division of the several islands of
Samoa, was signed by the three parties in Washington,
D.C.;
Whereas on April 17, 1900, by treaty of cession, the tradi-
tional chiefs of the South Pacific Islands of Tutuila and
Aunu’u agreed to become a part of the United States
in return for protection of their land and culture, and
the United States flag was raised on what is now
known as the United States Territory of American
Samoa;
Whereas on July 14, 1904, by treaty of cession, His Majesty
the King of Manu’a and his traditional chiefs from the
•HRES 443 RH
Islands of Ta’u, Ofu, and Olosega, agreed to become
part of the United States in return for the protection
of their land and culture;
Whereas since that time, the residents of American Samoa
have been proud of their affiliation with this great Na-
tion and have demonstrated their loyalty and patriot-
ism in countless ways;
Whereas April 17 is known as Flag Day in American
Samoa and is the biggest holiday in the territory, and
is celebrated not only in American Samoa, but through-
out the United States wherever there is a sizable Sa-
moan community;
Whereas American Samoans in Hawaii, California, Ne-
vada, Utah, Alaska, Washington, and other parts of the
United States pause each year on this important date
to celebrate this monumental occasion in American Sa-
moa’s history;
Whereas the per capita rate of enlistment in the Armed
Forces among American Samoans is among the highest
in the United States, with hundreds of American
Samoans enlisting annually;
Whereas for decades American Samoa served as a Naval
coaling station for United States ships in the Pacific,
providing the Nation with what is commonly referred
to as the best deep-water harbor in the entire Pacific—
•HRES 443 RH
a harbor where American ships are protected from se-
vere and sudden tropical storms by natural, high, slop-
ing mountains—a harbor which, in the Nation’s youth,
served as a critical and crucial refueling and replen-
ishing port for military and commercial interests, ena-
bling the United States to pursue its foreign and com-
mercial policies, logistically unrestrained, throughout
the Asian Pacific region;
Whereas during World War II, American Samoa was the
staging point for 30,000 United States Marines in-
volved in the Pacific theater, with American Samoans
serving both as hosts and as fellow soldiers to these Ma-
rines via the revered Fita Fita Guard;
Whereas American Samoa was the first land astronauts
from numerous Apollo missions came to upon returning
to Earth—including astronauts from Apollo 10, Apollo
12, Apollo 13, Apollo 14, and Apollo 17;
Whereas American Samoa produces more National Football
League players per capita than any other State or ter-
ritory of the United States, with approximately 15
Samoans currently playing professionally;
Whereas April 17, 2000, will mark the 100th anniversary
of American Samoa joining in political, military, and
economic union with the United States;
•HRES 443 RH
Whereas local government leaders in American Samoa have
been preparing for this centennial celebration for the
last three years; and
Whereas although 100 years have elapsed since the forma-
tion of this mutually beneficial relationship, American
Samoans today—as did their forebears in 1900—re-
main deeply thankful and appreciative of the benefits
they have received and continue to receive as a result
of the unique relationship American Samoa shares with
this great Republic, and they are proud that in return
for the benefits received under this relationship, they
actively contribute economically, militarily, and cul-
turally to the health and well-being of this great Na-
tion: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives—
(1) recognizes the historical significance of the
centennial of the raising of the American flag over
the United States Territory of American Samoa;
(2) acknowledges 100 years of American Sa-
moa’s loyalty and service to the United States; and
(3) reaffirms its commitment to the United
States citizens and nationals of American Samoa for
improved self-governance, economic development,
and the expansion of domestic commerce, consistent
with the desires of the people of American Samoa.