(Photos: Te Vaka)

(Photos: SRU)

SAMOA: U20 Junior World Cup Update: Samoa v Australia
Source: SRU Press Release
 
Today (Thursday, June 19, 2008) we failed to back up the same performance displayed last week in Wrexham in that we were convincingly defeated by an organized and much bigger Australian side 32-0.

It was a very wet day and the Australian used their front line right in the outset of the game to attack us. They used a strong kicking game keeping our team on our side of the field putting them under pressure all the time.

They were very organized in the set pieces, putting our line outs and scrums under a lot of pressure to get clean balls, but we contested these areas well at times.

Their first point came from an early penalty conversion in the 4th minute, and this was the score in the majority of the first half until the 30 minute mark when the Welsh referee awarded a penalty try under the post to Australia from a dangerous tackle by our fullback Alatasi Tupou. Tupou was further sent to the sideline for 10 minutes which is a very tough call as we were penalised twice from one mistake.

Our boys refused to have the Australians crossed our line at this stage and they tackled and defended well right up to end of the first half. The score was 10-0 at half time.

The Australian used their kicking game a lot at this half and were camping on our side for most of the time using their big forwards to dominate our tired defence. They eventually wore us down and score a converted try next to the post.

We had some opportunities to cross their line but we did not control these possessions well. The referee on the other hand made some bad calls and kept picking on our boys only with penalties and our tackles. Many times the Australians used their hands in the ruck but were ignored.

The Australians score two soft tries at the end. The score board does not reflect the great effort by our boys today here in Wales. They had two big games in a row, and the Australian side had a 10 super 14 players in it.

The competition is very tough and all the teams are good. This is the U.20 Competition and the majority of these players are already representing their national sides or regular players in the Super 14 or the Six Nations here in Europe. We have shown that we are competitive and can still
compete with these big nations at this level.

We have Argentina coming up and this is our last mission and hope to secure a third win in this World Cup, which no one country in the Pacific had done before. Argentina will not be an easy side, so the message now given to the boys is to forget about today and start focusing on
Argentina.

A win in this game will secure us an overall 7th place in this Competition which involves 16 Rugby Playing Countries.

E faafetaia pea Samoa mo lau Tapuaiga aemaise lau Afioga i le Ao Mamalu ole Malo, Le Afioga i le Palemia ma le Malo, Iuni Lakapi a Samoa ma ana Paaaga masani, Kamupani Tutoatasi, Aiga o
tama taaalo ia ma le atunuu atoa. Ua pau o se mea ua oo I ai le mafai I le aso, ia ae toe alo tapuai mai sei toe alo atu I le matou taaloga mulimuli o lenei taamiliosaga.

Faafetai tele ma ia manuia Samoa.

Photo Caption: Namulauulu Sami Leota.
 

(Photos: ENI)

AMERICAN SAMOA: Faleomavaega responds to Governor Togiola's comments 
Source: Office of Congressman Faleomavaega Press Release
 
Congressman Faleomavaega announced today (Thursday, June 12, 2008) that he is clarifying the
intent of H.R. 6191, a bill he introduced to make it easier for U.S. nationals living in American Samoa to become U.S. citizens, if they so choose.

"Recently, the Governor has publicly expressed that he strongly opposes the legislation and, while I respect his right to oppose, I disagree with his position," Faleomavaega said. "Also, given that the Governor has made statements that are not factual, I believe it is important to
clear up the misinformation he has relayed to the newspapers and radio."

"First, Governor Togiola states that H.R. 6191 will force U.S. citizenship on U.S. nationals. This is not true. H.R. 6191 is about choice, not force, and only applies to those U.S. nationals living in
American Samoa who choose to become U.S. citizens if they wish to apply."

"Secondly, the Governor states that this legislation is contrary to the findings of the Future Political Status Study Commission which recommended that American Samoa not seek U.S. citizenship for its people at this time. Again, this is false. H.R. 6191 does not make citizenship automatic for American Samoa's people. H.R. 6191, which my staff hand-delivered to Governor Togiola's office on June 7, 2008, states that the intent of this legislation is to allow nationals to
become citizens by more expeditious means. In other words, it speeds up the process. It does not make citizenship automatic."

"For those nationals who choose to become citizens, H.R. 6191 speeds up the process by doing away with certain requirements and treating nationals like nationals rather than foreigners. As the law now stands, in order for a national to become a citizen, our people must follow the
same procedures as aliens, or foreigners, and this is not right since nationals owe permanent allegiance to the United States."

"For nationals living in American Samoa, it is not right that our people are currently required to pass an English proficiency and civics exam given that American Samoa's education system is patterned after that of public schools in the U.S."

"Also, our people should not be required, as they now are, to move to the mainland to pass the residency requirement. Our people already live in a U.S. Territory and should not be subjected to the financial hardship and burdens of moving to California or Hawaii or elsewhere just to establish residency. While the Governor may believe that our people should be treated like foreigners and forced to move and take exams, I do not and this is where we disagree."

"I believe the provisions of physical residency and exams should be waived, and this is what H.R. 6191 does. H.R. 6191 waives the requirements of physical residency but keeps in place all other
provisions of section 316 as to good moral character, etc. H.R. 6191 also makes sure that U.S. nationals are required to file an application, complete an interview, be fingerprinted, take an oath and meet all other requirements as expressed in the Immigration and Nationality Act."

"Regarding the Governor's concerns about H.R. 6191 opening up the floodgate to foreigners, I am pleased that after all these years the Governor has finally agreed to stop the flow of foreigners entering the territory if H.R. 6191 is passed. If H.R. 6191 accomplishes nothing
else, it has been well worth the effort because ASG should have closed the floodgate years ago. ASG's weak immigration and corporate laws, which allow for sponsorship of foreigners, like Daewoosa, who set up shop and send their money back home, have brought embarrassment to our Territory and jeopardized our communal lands and customs. If ASG does not clean up its mess and establish fair laws for fair business, our people will lose everything."

"Regarding the Governor's point that he believes H.R. 6191 will lead to our people being drafted in the U.S. military, I would respectfully suggest that he review H.R. 6191. H.R. 6191 does not make anyone subject to the draft."

"Finally, like the Governor, I welcome input, and I introduced this legislation based on the input of the people. Many of our people have requested my assistance because, like me, they believe U.S. nationals who choose to become citizens should be able to do so without being treated like foreigners in the process. This is why I introduced H.R. 6191, and stand by it, and intend to open it up for nationals living in the U.S. as well," Faleomavaega concluded.

Photo Caption:  Congressman Faleomavaega. Governor; Togiola Tulafono.
 

(Photos: J. Kneubuhl)

TOKELAU: Tokelau Expedition in August
Source: ASCC Press Release

Three students from the American Samoa Community College (ASCC) will experience the unique island culture of Tokelau for three weeks as part of an Archaeological Field School organized by instructor Dr. David Addison. Marie Faatuala, Timali Pele and Junior Lokeni will participate
in a research project held in conjunction with the National University of Samoa (NUS), the University of the South Pacific (USP) and the Tokelau Department of Education. “As one of the closest island groups to the north of Samoa, we believe that Tokelau at one time had a close
connection with Samoa. This research project will give us a chance to investigate that theory,” said Dr. Addison.

In preparation for the Field School, which will take place this coming August, Dr. Addison visited Tokelau last month to arrange accommodations for the students and make a preliminary assessment of the excavation site. The tiny Pacific nation consists of three main atolls, Atafu,
Nukunonu, and Fakaofo, which travelers can reach only by sea. Fakaofo, the closest to Samoa, lies about 270 miles north of Apia, and takes about 24 hours of ocean travel to reach, while Atafu, the largest and the site of the archaeological project, requires another day’s worth of travel to get to. All passengers bound for Tokelau must take the boat which leaves from Apia every two weeks. “The seas can make that boat ride rough,” admitted Dr. Addison, “but you really get to know some of your fellow passengers during the voyage, so by the time you reach Tokelau you’ve already made some friends.”

Tokelau’s population consists of only around 1500 people divided equally among the three atolls. According to Dr. Addison, the residents of Atafu make up in exuberance for what they lack in numbers. “I always find the people there really friendly and hospitable,” he said. “They work hard and also have an incredible community spirit. I compare the whole island to a team in which everyone doesn’t mind their role as a team player.” Addison says the Tokelauans typically structure their day around fishing and other chores. Because the boat from Apia provides their only source of imported goods, for their sustenance they rely mostly on the sea and the limited amount of farming possible on their atolls.

While the Tokelau lifestyle may sound idyllic, life on the small atolls presents continued challenges. With the atolls rising only 10 to 15 feet above the ocean, rising sea levels due to global warming pose a constant threat. The Tokelauans first noticed this effect on the islets that dot the main atolls. “People showed me an islet where they said the sea had eaten away about a quarter of it in just their lifetime,” said Dr. Addison. “They said many of these smaller strips of atoll had also shrunk to varying degrees.”

With a limited amount of space on the atolls, the Tokelauans also face the challenge of overcrowding. Luckily, through their political ties with their former colonial ruler, all people of Tokelau have citizenship in New Zealand. Many natives of Tokelau choose to relocate to New Zealand or Australia, where today the Tokelauan communities number about 8000 between
the two countries. You can also find substantial Tokelauan communities in Hawaii and even here in American Samoa. “Tokelau has evolved its own unique language and culture, but it still has a lot of similarities with Samoa as well as its other close neighbor, Tuvalu,” said Dr. Addison, who
hopes the archaeological expedition will reveal more about the historical relationship between Samoa and Tokelau. “We have good reason to believe that Tokelau may have provided a stepping stone for Polynesians to colonize other parts of the Pacific, such as the Cook Islands, Tahiti, and even Hawaii,” he said.

The group of ASCC students, all members of Dr. Addison’s class Anthropology 210: Archaeological Field Methods, will join their counterparts from NUS as well as Tokelauan students from USP and Atafu High School for the expedition. An international team of archaeologists
will also join the project in Apia before heading for Tokelau. “At a small, remote institution like ASCC, students have few opportunities to participate in scientific research,” said Dr. Addison. “However, I can’t think of a better way of motivating students to excel than direct involvement in research. Most successful scientists got started in their careers by participating in research projects that stimulated their sense of adventure and scientific inquiry.”

Although officially a staff member of the ASCC Samoan Studies Institute (SSI), Dr. Addison offers his Archaeology course through an arrangement with the Social Science Department. “Most colleges would categorize Archaeology as part of Social Science,” explained SSI chairperson Okenaisa Fauolo-Manila. “However, in the case of American Samoa, if not the Pacific in general, archaeological studies often constitute an important element in the bigger picture of researching and analyzing our own past. The Archeology Field School fits in with the SSI mission, which includes providing help to other academic departments that incorporate elements of Samoa and Pacific studies, as well as enabling community outreach and research programs. With that in mind, the SSI supports Dr. Addison serving as an adjunct instructor with the Social Science Department.”

For those of us unable to visit Tokelau, we will still have the opportunity to learn more about our neighboring Pacific nation when a large delegation of its artists and performers comes to our shores to participate in the 10th Festival of the Pacific Arts, beginning July 20th.

Meanwhile, to find out more about Tokelau, visit the website: www.tokelau.org.nz.

Photo Captions: ASCC students Marie Faatuala (left) and Timali Pele (right) will join Dr. David Addison (center) on a trip to Tokelau in August to participate in the Archaeology Field School, an expedition to investigate the historical links between between Samoa and Tokealu.