Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — The much scaled-back 2022 Flag Day ceremony, under the theme “O Oe ma Lou Fa’avae” - “You and Your Constitution” - is a one-day event at the Malae o le Talu at Fagatogo, Monday, April 18, marking 122 years since American Samoa became a U.S territory.

Flag Day is marked on the Apr. 17 each year but this year, this important date in the territory’s history, falls on a Sunday - Easter Sunday - and therefore Gov. Lemanu Peleti Mauga has declared April 18 as the day the territory will celebrate the 2022 Flag Day holiday.

With current restrictions due to the COVID-19 community spread, this year’s celebration is a one-day event starting at around 7:30a.m. after the arrival of the governor and his wife, First Lady Ella at the Fagatogo Pavilion, according to the Flag Day program.

Deputy Secretary of Samoan Affairs, Tauese Va’a Sunia is the master of ceremonies providing traditional Samoan salutation and welcoming remarks while the special choir from the Seventh-day Adventist Church will provide hymns.

The governor will deliver his annual Flag Day Address, after the official flag raising, while Lt. Gov. Talauega Eleasalo Ale, is the only other speaker of the day, delivering special thanks before closing of the ceremony, which ASG official says is expected to last less than two hours.

Pastor Tui L. Tuliatu, president of the Seventh-day Adventist Church American Samoa, will presided over the ceremony, offering opening and closing prayers.

The only other VIPs listed on the Flag Day program to be in attendance, are leaders of the Fono and Judicial branches along with their spouses, as well as the Secretary of Samoan Affairs and his wife.

CONGRESSWOMAN’S FLAG DAY STATEMENT

Over the weekend, Congresswoman Uifa’atali Amata, issued an official Flag Day statement on this special day for American Samoa.

“Flag Day is an important day to our people, and by God’s grace we can truly hope that next year’s celebration will be back to full strength for the first time since 2019. On this day in our history, we look back to when our ancestors raised the U.S. flag in Tutuila, with Manu’a to officially join the United States a few years later,” she said. 

“We celebrate being part of a great country, while keeping true to our own Samoan heritage. That makes our relationship with the United States special even among the other island territories. It gives us great pride that our islands have built an outsized tradition of military service. This Flag Day, we think especially of our many military families with loved ones serving far away, and others who cannot be home,” she points out.

“Our prayers are with all those families currently battling COVID, or mourning a recent loss. Finally, we think of those working long hours so we have the necessary testing and treatment for the virus. May God bless all of you. I look forward to being home with you in American Samoa very soon, and I miss you and will be thinking of you this Flag Day. Have a happy and blessed Flag Day,” she concluded.