There are moments in history when a people must decide what they value more: immediate economic promises or the protection of an inheritance that can never be replaced. For American Samoa, that moment has arrived.

The debate over deep-sea mining is not simply about science, technology, or economics. It is ultimately about leadership, responsibility, and who has the authority to decide the fate of our oceans that is connected to our lands — an inherent part of our heritage. Just as our deep connection to our family lands defines who we are, so too does our timeless relationship with the sea. We do not inherit our natural resources merely for ourselves; we hold and protect them in trust for those who will come after us.

The Pacific knows all too well that decisions driven by powerful outside interests can leave environmental and human consequences that endure long after the economic or strategic benefits have disappeared. We must be honest enough to learn from that history, or we are condemned to repeat it.

This moment demands political courage, but also intelligence, wisdom, and foresight. I once heard someone say whether he was serious or casual about it, “Let the future generations deal with the problem when it happens.” I have never accepted that philosophy. True stewardship requires us to consider the consequences of our decisions in our time when we could do something about it, before the burden, if at all, is passed to our children and grandchildren.

But leadership does not end with opposition and mere public statements. It requires action.

Our Governor, the Fono, and our Delegate to Congress must use every political, legal, and diplomatic tool available to protect the interests of American Samoa. The Governor must continue to assert the territory’s position through executive authority where applicable, formal objections and participation in federal environmental and regulatory processes, and direct engagement with federal agencies. The administration should include members of the community (even if they are in the opposition) on its Deep Sea Mining Steering Committee, to bring a balanced perspective.

The Fono should continue to create a clear legislative record through resolutions, hearings, and advocacy that demonstrates the will of the Samoan people. The Fono thankfully has already done (HCR No. 39-4) that for the record, and hearings calling the administration before the Fono is needed.

At the federal level, our Delegate should pursue congressional action to establish a moratorium on deep-sea mining within American Samoa’s Exclusive Economic Zone until independent science can demonstrate that it can be conducted safely, responsibly, and in a manner that provides a just and lasting benefit to our people. Congress should also exercise oversight over federal agencies responsible for leasing, environmental review, and the protection of territorial interests.

American Samoa should not stand alone. We must strengthen partnerships with our Pacific neighbors, regional organizations, scientists, and environmental experts who share a commitment to responsible stewardship of the ocean that connects all Pacific peoples. Young leadership through Finafinau, Puipui Measina and Fa’asao Amerika Samoa to name a few, have done an admirable job in creating a public record of opposition.

Many of the corporations and investors seeking access to these minerals may never experience the consequences of the decisions made here. They do not share the ancestral relationship with these waters that our people have maintained for thousands of years. These mining companies will mine the minerals and leave when it is gone.

We, however, will remain.

And because we will remain, this moment demands that we ask a deeper question: whether our political relationship with the United States provides American Samoa with a meaningful voice in decisions that may permanently affect our lands, seas, and future.

More than a century ago, our ancestors placed their “X’s” upon the Deeds of Cession with the understanding that their/our lands, customs, and welfare would be respected and protected. That promise carries a moral responsibility today. As decisions with profound consequences for our ocean are made thousands of miles away, it is appropriate to ask whether our current political framework adequately protects the interests and self-determination of the Samoan people.

We should approach that conversation not with fear, but with confidence. We do not need to be afraid of the U.S. federal government holding us hostage with their federal funding, even though that is exactly where we find ourselves today. A true partnership with the United States must be built upon mutual respect, where American Samoa can speak openly and advocate strongly for the protection of its people, culture, and natural resources without fear of consequence.

The measure of our leadership will not be whether we extracted everything the ocean could give us. It will be whether we had the wisdom to protect what we could not replace, the courage to demand a greater voice in our own destiny, and the foresight to preserve our ocean for generations yet unborn. Our children and grandchildren will judge what we chose to do and what we left behind.

I am not anti-development. I am pro-responsible development and pro-evidence based decision-making. The minerals beneath our ocean are not disappearing. A decision to wait until the science, technology, legal protections, and economic realities are better understood is not a decision against progress—it is a decision to ensure that progress does not come at the expense of a legacy we can never restore.

For all the reasons presented in this series, my answer today is clear: not now. Not until science proves it can be done safely, responsibly, and sustainably. Not until transparency is achieved in showing our people exactly how it benefits us and our territory. And if that proof never comes, then we must have the courage to say: not ever.