Flag of American Samoa

Last updated
American Samoa
Flag of American Samoa.svg
Use Civil and state flag FIAV 110000.svg FIAV normal.svg IFIS Mirror.svg
Proportion1:2
AdoptedApril 17, 1960
DesignA red-edged white triangle pointing towards the hoist charged with a bald eagle clutching a war club and a fly-whisk. The white triangle divides the dark blue field into two separate triangles.
Designed byUinifareti Rapi Sotoa [1]

The flag of American Samoa is a flag consisting of a red-edged white triangle pointing towards the hoist charged with a bald eagle clutching a war club and fly-whisk, with dark blue upper and lower triangles. Adopted in April 1960 to replace the "Stars and Stripes" as the official flag of the territory, it has been the flag of the Territory of American Samoa since that year. The colors used epitomize the traditional colors of the United States and Samoa.

Contents

The bald eagle and the blue, white and red colors symbolize the country's ties to the United States. The eagle holds a staff and a war club, two traditional symbols of the Samoan chiefs. [2]

According to the flag's designer, Uinifareti Rapi Sotoa, the white section represents the Manuʻa District. The two blue parts represent the two districts on Tutuila Island: The Eastern District and the Western District. The red in the middle is a symbol for the ocean between Tutuila Island and the Manuʻa Islands. The eagle is a confirmation of the unity between the United States and American Samoa. The fue and uatogi carried by the eagle represent the ability of Samoans to compromise but also that they can defend themselves when necessary. [3]

History

American Samoa flag at a United States Marine Corps Forces, Pacific band performance. MARFORPAC Band in American Samoa 160418-M-CP369-186.jpg
American Samoa flag at a United States Marine Corps Forces, Pacific band performance.

Before the first Europeans set foot on the islands in the 18th century, Samoa did not use any flags. They first utilized flags during the 1800s, although it is unclear which ones were flown due to partial documentation. [4] The islands were contested by Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States at the turn of the century; [5] the three countries resolved the dispute by dividing Samoa amongst themselves during the Tripartite Convention in 1899. [4] [6] As a result of an agreement with the high chiefs of the island of Tutuila, the United States took control over easternmost Samoa on April 17, 1900, and raised their flag that same day. [7] [8] It went on to be the only official flag of American Samoa until 1960.

In the mid-20th century, Samoans began to take a more active role in the local government. Consequently, deliberations began over a new territorial flag and the Samoans were invited to propose ideas. Local government leaders and the U.S. Army Institute of Heraldry then designed the flag while incorporating these ideas into it. The flag was officially adopted April 17, 1960, sixty years to the day the U.S. first raised the American flag over Samoa.

The flag was raised for the first time on Flag Day, April 17, 1960. In the previous year, the flag's design had won the flag design competition at Samoana High School, designed by high school student Fareti Sotoa. A draft was sent to the U.S. Army's Institute of Heraldry. [9]

A copy of the flag, which was brought to the moon by astronauts on four Apollo missions from 1969 to 1971, is on display at the Jean P. Haydon Museum in Pago Pago. [10]

Design

The flag consists of a large white triangle, pointed towards the hoist, bordered in red and charged with an eagle, all on a blue field. The U.S. national bird holds a yellow uatogi (a war club) in its claws. [11]

The colors and symbols of the flag carry cultural, political, and regional meanings. The red, white and blue represent the colors traditionally utilized by both the United States and Samoa. [4] The bald eagle represents the U.S. and features on the flag, [12] although it does not live in American Samoa. [13] It clutches two Samoan symbols, alluding to the United States' guardianship over American Samoa, [14] as well as evoking the Great Seal of the United States. [15] The symbols are a uatogi (a war club, epitomizing the government's power) and a fue (a fly-whisk, representing the wisdom of traditional Samoan leaders). [4] [16]

American Samoa holds a Flag Day celebration on April 17 each year.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fofō Iosefa Fiti Sunia</span> American Samoan politician

Fofó Iosefa Fiti Sunia was the first non-voting Delegate from American Samoa to the United States House of Representatives. He was born in Fagasā, Pago Pago, and attended the University of Hawaiʻi.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manuʻa Islands</span> Island group of American Samoa

The Manuʻa Islands, or the Manuʻa tele, in the Samoan Islands, consists of three main islands: Taʻū, Ofu and Olosega. The latter two are separated only by the shallow, 137-meter-wide Āsaga Strait, and are now connected by a bridge over the strait. The islands are located some 110 kilometers east of Tutuila and are a part of American Samoa, an unincorporated territory of the United States. Their combined area is 56 square kilometers, and they have a total population of 1,400. Taʻu is the largest of these islands, with an area of 44 km2 (17 sq mi), and it has the highest point of the Manuʻa, at 931 meters. Politically, the islands form the Manuʻa District, one of the three administrative divisions of American Samoa.

Moimoi may refer to

<span class="mw-page-title-main">American Samoa Senate</span> Upper house of the American Samoa Fono

The American Samoa Senate is the upper house of the American Samoa Fono. The Senate, like the lower House of Representatives, is a nonpartisan body. It is composed of 18 senators, serving a four-year term.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fagatogo, American Samoa</span> Village in American Samoa, United States

Fagatogo is the downtown area of Pago Pago. Located in the low grounds at the foot of Matafao Peak, it was the location of the first American settlement on Tutuila Island. It includes the sub-village of Malaloa. Today, Fagatogo is the government, commercial, financial, and shipping center of Tutuila. It is also the administrative capital of American Samoa. It is the location of the American Samoa Fono (legislature), and is listed in the Constitution of American Samoa as the territory's official seat of government. Its population is 1,737.

Utulei or ʻUtulei is a village in Maoputasi County, in the Eastern District of Tutuila, the main island of American Samoa. Utulei is traditionally considered to be a section of Fagatogo village, the legislative capital of American Samoa, and is located on the southwest edge of Pago Pago Harbor. Utulei is the site of many local landmarks: The A. P. Lutali Executive Office Building, which is next to the Feleti Barstow Library; paved roads that wind up to a former cablecar terminal on Solo Hill; the governor's mansion, which sits on Mauga o Alii, overlooking the entrance to Goat's Island, and the lieutenant governor's residence directly downhill from it; the Lee Auditorium, built in 1962; American Samoa's television studios, known as the Michael J. Kirwan Educational Television Center; and the Rainmaker Hotel. Utulei Terminal offers views of Rainmaker Mountain.

Aūa is a village on Tutuila Island in American Samoa. It is located along American Samoa Highway 001, and is the southern terminus of American Samoa Highway 006. Aūa is located at the foothills of Mount Peiva on the eastern shore of Pago Pago Bay. The hamlet of Leloaloa is also a part of Aūa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seal of American Samoa</span> Official government emblem of the U.S. territory of American Samoa

The Seal of American Samoa is based in traditional local design.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leone, American Samoa</span> Village in American Samoa, United States

Leone is the second-largest city on Tutuila Island's west coast. The village is on the south-west coast of Tutuila Island, American Samoa. Leone was the ancient capital of Tutuila Island. Leone was also where the Samoan Islands’ first missionary, John Williams, visited on October 18, 1832. A monument in honor of Williams has been erected in front of Zion Church. Its large church was the first to be built in American Samoa. It has three towers, a carved ceiling and stained glass. Until steamships were invented, Leone was the preferred anchorage of sailing ships which did not risk entering Pago Pago Harbor. Much early contact between Samoans and Europeans took place in Leone.

John Fredrick Parker was a Captain in the United States Navy and one-time Governor of American Samoa from May 21, 1908 to Nov. 10, 1910. John F. Parker was born in Ohio in 1853. He graduated from Annapolis in 1874 and married Elizabeth Scott Lord, niece of President Benjamin Harrison. He served as governor of Samoa from May 21, 1908 - November 10, 1910. He was stationed in Manila during the Spanish–American War. During President Benjamin Harrison's term he served as an aid. He died of Bright's disease at his home December 12, 1911.

ʻIliʻili is a village in the southwest of Tutuila Island, American Samoa. It is located seven miles inland, southwest of Pago Pago, between the villages of Futiga and Vaitogi. It is in Tuālāuta County. As of the 2020 U.S. Census, ʻIliʻili has a population of 3,073, making it the third-most populated village in American Samoa.

John Morse Haydon was the governor of the American Samoa from 1969 to 1974. Haydon attended the University of Washington. He served as a First Lieutenant in the United States Air Force during World War II and flew 35 combat missions over Germany. Haydon was commissioner of the Seattle Port Commission from 1960 to 1969, and president in 1963, 1968, and 1969. He was a member of the Governor's Advisory Council on Fisheries from 1965 to 1967, and on Commerce and Economic Development from 1965 to 1969. On August 1, 1969, he was appointed Governor of American Samoa by the Interior Secretary and he served until October 1974.

The Samoa News is a newspaper published in Pago Pago, American Samoa.

Vaiala is a village in the eastern side of Apia township on Upolu island in Samoa. It is situated on the central north coast of the island, to the east of the capital Apia. The village is in the political district of Tuamasaga.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jean P. Haydon Museum</span> United States historic place

The Jean P. Haydon Museum is a museum in Pago Pago dedicated to the culture and history of the United States territory of American Samoa. It contains a collection of canoes, coconut-shell combs, pigs’ tusk armlets and native pharmacopoeia. It also houses exhibits on natural history, tapa making, traditional tattooing, as well as a collection of war clubs, kava bowls, and historic photographs. Constructed in 1913 as U.S. Naval Station Tutuila Commissary, the building was home to Tutuila Island's Post Office from 1950 to 1971. The museum has displays of various aspects of the Samoan Islands’ culture and history. It is the official repository for collections of artifacts for American Samoa. Funded by the American Samoa Council on Arts, Culture and the Humanities, it is the venue used for numerous of the cultural resource activities in American Samoa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vailoatai, American Samoa</span> Village in American Samoa, United States

Vailoatai is a village in southwestern Tutuila, the main island of American Samoa. It is located on the eastern end of Leone Bay. The village is known for its beautiful malae, nested along the island's rugged southern coast and lined by the fale tali mālō of its village chiefs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vatia, American Samoa</span> Village in American Samoa, United States

Vatia is a village on Tutuila Island in American Samoa. It is a north shore village located on Vatia Bay. The road to Vatia, American Samoa Highway 006, is the only road going through National Park of American Samoa. Vatia is a scenic community at the foot of Pola Ridge and surrounded by the national park. It is only reached by Route 6 which traverses the national park before reaching Vatia. There was once a hiking trail over Maugaloa Ridge from Leloaloa, but since the completion of Route 6, this trail is now overgrown. It is home to a beach, and panoramic views of jungle-covered peaks surround the village on all sides. Vatia is the center of the Tutuila-section of National Park of American Samoa. It is located in Vaifanua County.

Feleti Barstow Public Library is the main library in American Samoa, and is located in the village of Utulei in Maoputasi County. It is the central public library for the territory and is situated immediately across from the Office of Tourism, next to the Executive Office Building, and just behind Samoana High School. Besides a permanent display depicting American Samoa’s involvement in the Apollo Space Program, the library has also worked with the American Samoa Historic Preservation Office (ASHPO) since 2000 at creating a historic Polynesian Photo Archive. The goal of the project has been to electronically catalog and archive around 6,000 still and moving images of Polynesia which were collected by the American Samoa Government. The library has an extensive Pacific Collection which houses articles, books, and reports relevant to Pacific- and Samoan history. A large collection of photographs are stored in its Polynesian Photo Archive, which is a subset of their Pacific Collection.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tualatai County</span> County in American Samoa, United States

Tuālā-tai County is one of the five counties that make up the Western District of American Samoa.

Malaloa is a sub-village of Fagatogo and is located at the end of Pago Pago Harbor in American Samoa. It is located in-between Fagatogo proper and the village of Pago Pago. Cruising boats entering and leaving Pago Pago should clear at Malaloa Marina. The Malaloa Marina was opened for cruisers’ use and has added a customs wharf to handle inbound and outbound clearances.

References

  1. ↑  Sunia, Fofō Iosefa Fiti (2001). Puputoa: Host of Heroes - A record of the history makers in the First Century of American Samoa, 1900-2000. Suva, Fiji: Oceania Printers. Page 138. ISBN 9829036022.
  2. ↑ Schyma, Rosemarie (2013). Südsee. DuMont Reiseverlag. Page 260. ISBN   9783770176946.
  3. ↑ Sunia, Fofō Iosefa Fiti (2001). Puputoa: Host of Heroes - A record of the history makers in the First Century of American Samoa, 1900-2000. Suva, Fiji: Oceania Printers. Page 138. ISBN 9829036022.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Smith, Whitney. "American Samoa, flag of". Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. Retrieved June 6, 2013.(subscription required)
  5. ↑ "History of Upolu". Lonely Planet. Retrieved June 6, 2013.
  6. ↑ Wise, Benjamin E. (2012). William Alexander Percy: The Curious Life of a Mississippi Planter and Sexual Freethinker. U of North Carolina Press. p. 93. ISBN   9780807835357 . Retrieved June 6, 2013.
  7. ↑ "Commissary Store (Jean P. Haydon Museum)". American Samoa Historic Preservation Office. Archived from the original on 7 December 2003.
  8. ↑ "E.W. Gurr, barrister of the supreme court of Samoa, certified: 'The foregoing instrument of cession was duly signed...in my presence at Pago Pago on the 17th day of April, 1900 A.D., immediately prior to the raising of the United States flag at the United States Naval Station, Tutuila.'" American Samoa: A General Report by the Governor (1927 edition). United States Government Printing Office, 1927, pp. 47-48.
  9. ↑ Sunia, Fofo I.F. (2009). A History of American Samoa. Amerika Samoa Humanities Council. Page 272. ISBN   9781573062992.
  10. ↑ "Jean P. Haydon Museum Review - American Samoa Australia and The Pacific - Sights". Fodor’s Travel. Retrieved Sep 11, 2020.
  11. ↑ Carter, John (1984). Pacific Islands Yearbook 1981. Pacific Publications Pty, Limited. Page 41. ISBN   9780858070493.
  12. ↑ Kindersley, Dorling (November 3, 2008). Complete Flags of the World. Dorling Kindersley Ltd. p. 19. ISBN   9781405333023 . Retrieved June 6, 2013.
  13. ↑ Swanson, Doug J. (September 9, 1990). "Land of the lavalava and CNN – Hybrid culture evolving in American Samoa". The Dallas Morning News. p. 10M. Retrieved June 6, 2013.(subscription required)
  14. ↑ Shaw, Carol P. (2004). Flags. HarperCollins UK. p. 28. ISBN   9780007165261 . Retrieved June 6, 2013.
  15. ↑ "American Samoa". The World Factbook. CIA. Retrieved June 6, 2013.
  16. ↑ Grabowski, John F. (1992). U.S. Territories and Possessions (State Report Series). Chelsea House Pub. Page 49. ISBN   9780791010532.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.