Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — During the recent ceremony on Swains Island celebrating the 98th anniversary since Swains Island was annexed by the U.S. and became a part of American Samoa, Gov. Lemanu P. S. Mauga acknowledged the ancestors of the now uninhabited island.

 “Olohega is like a root of a plant. You nurture and take care of it until it grows. Olohega needs a lot of development. You are precious with great potential,” he said of Olohenga, the traditional name for the island.

 Governor Lemanu added when talking about the potential and development that, “the people should not follow the government, the government should follow the needs of the people.” This was in reference to the long standing request of the Olohega community to visit and explore the potential of Swains Island.

The Swains Island community — along with their Faipule Su’a Alex Jennings, who led the successful effort to ratify during the mid-term elections a Constitutional amendment giving a vote in the Fono to Swains Island’s faipule — expressed their hopes for future investments and the development of the Island with resources to attract its people to return to live there again. The approval of this vote is now with the U.S. Secretary of the Interior and may be made only by Act of Congress. 

Su’a during his celebration remarks said, “Swains Island and her people are finally being recognized. I am truly grateful to the Governor of American Samoa, Honorable Lemanu Mauga, for making this trip happen. Olohenga (Swains Island) has so much to offer the people of American Samoa regarding resources.

“The Governor did this because he believes there was opportunity in Swains Island. With the right plan and proper investment, Swains can provide so much for American Samoa as a whole.”