Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — Su'a Alexander Eli Jennings, Swains Island faipule, has sent out an email to his fellow lawmakers highlighting the plight of the people he represents, pointing out that there was not one mention of the Swains Island during the 5-hour dedication of the new Fale Fono last Friday.

He claims that this is just part of the continuous battle the Swains Island people face — being ignored — yet they hold the same status as American Samoa nationals.

His email reads as follows —

To my distinguished Colleagues:

Please try to imagine what it felt like as a Samoan Native sitting through five hours of ceremonial events for the new Fono building yesterday without one mention of Swains Island.

Swains Island is not a district, county, or village in American Samoa. According to the U.S. State Department’s Foreign Affairs Manual (FAM), the late Congressman Faleomavaega, and former DOI Assistant Secretary Anthony Babauta, Swains Island—like Tutuila and Manu‘a—is an outlying possession and an unorganized, unincorporated territory of the United States. For purposes of funding, Swains Island holds the same status as Tutuila, Aunu‘u, and Manu‘a.

Furthermore, Unlike Tutuila and Manu‘a, which were annexed through their respective Deeds of Cession in 1900 and 1904, Swains Island became part of American Samoa through a separate Act of Congress — H.J.R. 294 — approved 100 years ago on March 4, 1925. Five terms in American Samoa’s constitution and statutes describe the people with rights to Swains Island: U.S. Nationals, people of Samoan ancestry, permanent residents, bona fide residents, and lineal descendants of the current title holder with inheritable rights to Swains Island.

Although outside the matai system, Swains Islanders are legally recognized as equal to all U.S. Nationals of Tutuila, Aunu‘u, and Manu‘a with all rights under the Constitution, especially the right to the protection from the alienation of their land and culture.

I.                The Spark: Part 1 – Right to Vote (2021 ARPA Funding)

In July 2021, under the Lemanu’s new Administration, Swains Island was notified that out of the $1.4 billion ARPA allocation to American Samoa, Swains was only eligible for $3,400. Neither the Executive Branch, Legislature, Congresswoman, nor the DOI intervened to defend Swains Island’s right to equitable funding. This injustice ignited “The Pursuit of Swains Island Justice – Part 1: Right to Vote.”

Despite strong opposition at multiple levels of government, the distinguished delegates to the 2022 Constitutional Convention—and ultimately the good people of American Samoa—approved a constitutional amendment granting the Swains Island Delegate the right to vote in the Legislature for the first time in sixty-five years. The amendment was approved by the Secretary of the Interior on January 16, 2025.

 II.              The Pursuit of Swains Island Justice Part 2:  Equitable Right to Funding (2026 ASG Annual Budget)

Four years later, in July 2025, Swains Island faced another disparity. Out of a $707 plus million FY 2026 ASG budget, only $45,000 was allocated to Swains Island under Special Programs for transportation—less than one-half of one percent of the total budget.

Attempts to Resolve Matters locally and at the Lowest Level:

As with the Lemanu Administration and despite numerous assurances from the Pula Administration that things will be different for Swains Island, multiple efforts to resolve matters locally and at the lowest level—including appeals to the Speaker, House Budget Committee, and repeated requests for a meetings with the Chief of Staff before and after budget hearings—were unreciprocated.

Again demonstrating, by eliminating and/or ignoring the Swains Island Delegate – the only Swains Island representative in American Samoa – over a period of time, nothing more needs to be done for Swains Island, even with the new right to vote in the Legislature. That may be true in China, Russia, or North Korea.

Unanswered Questions:

Funding Policy:

1.    What is ASG’s funding policy for Swains Island and how is that determined?

2.    How much of ASG’s Annual Budget is set for Swains Island?

3.    How much of the 2026 Budget is allocated for Swains Island?

a.     What percentage is that of the total budget?

4.    How much funding was allocated to Swains Island from ASG’s Annual Budget for the last 20 years (2005-2025) since my tenure as the Delegate?

Swains Island Transportation Funding:

1.    What is the purpose for Swains Island Government trips to Swains Island?

2.    How much does it cost for one trip to Swains Island?

3.    How many trips does the government intend to make to Swains Island in fiscal year 2026 with $45,000?

Lost Funding for Swains Island:

1.    Why was Swains Island not considered under the second round of ARPA spending when none was allocated under the first round?

2.    What happened to the $1.5 Million approved by the Legislature last year for a Swains Island Airport?

3.    What happened to the $300,000.00 allocated for Swains Island Transportation under the 2025 Budget when there’s been no trip to Swains Island since October 2023?

Faipule Su’a concludes his email requesting their assistance and support in resolving this matter locally.