Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — The Government of American Samoa (ASG) starting this week is celebrating the Christmas spirit within the community, with two public celebrations and one for ASG leadership, a Cabinet Christmas dinner.

Cabinet members are expected to attend, and if unable to attend to delegate their deputy to do so, according to a memorandum dated Dec 5, 2025, signed off by Gov. Pulaali’i Nikolau Pula’s Chief of Staff.

Public celebrations are the TAOA Senior Citizen Christmas Program — to be held today, Tuesday, December 9th at the Veterans Memorial Stadium; and, ASG Christmas Caroling — to be held at the Fagatogo Pavilion over three days, beginning on Wednesday, Dec 10 to the 12.

The ASG Christmas Caroling is a long -held tradition in the Territory. The program is set to begin at 6 p.m. and will be televised.

(ASG Memorandum)

WALKING 144 KILOMETRES IN IMPECCABLE VINTAGE

RNZ — December 4, 2025 — Bay of Islands artist Jacqui Madelin is raising money for pest eradication and putting on the style while she does it.

Artist Madelin is walking 12km a day to raise money for Project Island Song, a pest-free wildlife sanctuary spanning seven islands in the eastern Bay of Islands.

But there’s a twist, Madelin is completing each day's walk, for the first 12 days in December, dressed head-to-toe in pieces from her extensive vintage wardrobe.

One outfit is an Edwardian swimming suit, she says, while another outfit getting an airing in her charity walk is a navy and pink suit from the 1940s that she had to do considerable remedial work on, she says.

Her cause is Project Island Song, a group of 267 volunteers working to clear seven offshore islands of pests

“They’ve cleared all of the introduced animal pests from seven of our offshore islands and are now working on the introduced plant pests and slowly they're reintroducing species that are endangered elsewhere and some of them haven't been seen in the Bay of Islands for over 100 years.”

Once a month volunteers visit the islands with pest detection dogs to make sure that no, rats or stoats have swum across, she says.

“I think it's amazing, absolutely amazing what largely volunteer labour can do on the smell of an oily rag.”

Donations can be made on Project Island Song's 12ks of Christmas on Givealittle page.

(RNZ)

US TERRITORIES STAND TO GAIN NOTHING ECONOMICALLY FROM DEEP SEA MINING IN FEDERAL WATERS

Economist Clement "CJ" Bermudez Jr told a packed forum on December 3rd that, unlike independent Pacific nations, such as the Cook Island, which can issue their own licenses and directly reap profits from seabed minerals, the CNMI, Guam, and American Samoa have no automatic claim to revenues because they are US territories and the proposed mining area lies within the United States' Exclusive Economic Zone.

Any benefit would require an act of Congress — an uncertain prospect at best, he stated.

The proposal is to mine in the seabed within the 200-mile EEZ of the Marianas — the CNMI and Guam.

"All licensing, royalties, monitoring, and enforcement are federal functions," Bermudez said.

"There's no automatic revenue sharing between the federal government and the CNMI when it comes to the US model for deep sea mining and sales."

His warning set the tone for the Northern Marianas College (NMC) Cooperative Research, Extension and Education Services and the CNMI Green Growth Initiative's "Community Conversations: Deep Sea Mining in the CNMI" forum, where scientists, traditional navigators, teachers, lawmakers, and ocean advocates filled the American Memorial Park indoor auditorium to capacity.

For three hours, panelists and residents dissected what is at stake as the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) weighs whether to open potential leasing blocks roughly 128 miles east of Saipan — an area firmly under federal jurisdiction. Economic, scientific, cultural, and political uncertainties dominated the night.

NMC Natural Resource Management Program coordinator and instructor Kelsey McLennan highlighted how little is known about the ecosystems targeted for exploration. "Scientists cannot reiterate enough how very little data is collected in the area under potential release,” she said.

If BOEM moves forward, leases could be issued for up to 30 years, even though disturbed deep sea environments can take millions to recover.

Friends of the Mariana Trench chair Sheila Jack Babauta emphasized the need for more time and public engagement. The CNMI and Guam have jointly requested a 120-day extension to the comment period, but as of this week, Washington has not granted one.

She pointed to American Samoa's experience, where despite overwhelming public and political opposition, including 76,000 comments, the federal government still advanced its Request For Information (RFI) to Step 2.

After the RFI comes a Request For Proposal, which means in this case the BOEM will ask for bids to move forward with sea-bed mining.

Representative Vincent Aldan underscored the CNMI's limited leverage under the US Territorial Clause, warning that Congress can act without being obligated to listen to territorial concerns. Still, he argued that collective action among all US territories could force Washington to rethink its stance.

"We didn't land on Plymouth Rock. Plymouth Rock landed on us," he said.

"So why are you making decisions for me that affect my life, my children's lives, and my great-grandchildren's lives? Can you beat it? Yes, we can!"

John Gurley, owner of Micronesian Environmental Services, reminded the audience that the area covered by the RFI stems from a 2009 agreement between the CNMI and the federal government when the Marianas Trench Marine National Monument was created.

He urged the CNMI to stay engaged so the federal government doesn't "take the ball and run," adding that while revenue-sharing may be difficult, the CNMI could push any future mining company to establish a home port in Saipan and invest in coastal infrastructure rather than rely solely on federal royalties.

NMC's Patricia Coleman closed the forum by urging residents to submit substantive comments before the 12 December deadline, regardless of whether an extension is granted. She challenged the CNMI to surpass American Samoa's 76,000-comment benchmark.

"Let's beat that number because if we don't put forward our views on this issue, which directly impacts our culture, our food system, and our economy, we may lose that opportunity," she said.

(RNZ)