Academic Year 1967-1968, Unit 11: Other Island Dependencies and Trusteeships Page: 6
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SOME SELECTED COUNTRIES AND TERRITORIES IN THE PACIFIC
personnel administered the territory under a plan
that placed progressively greater responsibility in
Samoan hands. In 1951 the administration was
transferred to the U.S. Department of Interior,
and in 1956 a part-Samoan was appointed gov-
ernor. In 1961, the first- governor was replaced
by H. Rex Lee of the U.S. Department of In-
terior.
A constitution devised by the Samoan people
and the Department of Interior was approved by
the Constitutional Convention and the Secretary
of the Interior on 27 April 1960. It became ef-
fective on 17 October of that year. Executive
power is vested in the Governor who is assisted
by the Government Secretary. Both offices are
filled by appointment by the Secretary of Interior.
The Governor appoints the heads of Executive
Departments, which include Administrative Ser-
vices, Agriculture, Audit, Communications, Edu-
cation, Information, Legal and Public Safety,
Local Government, Medical Services, Personnel,
Port Administration, Public Defender, and Pub-
lic Works. Local government is carried out by
indigenous officials.The Fono (legislature) consists of two houses.
The Senate is composed of 15 members elected
according to Samoan custom from local chiefs.
The House of Representatives consists of 21
members elected by popular vote. The Fono
meets yearly in March for not more than 30 days
and at other times for any special sessions that
the Governor may call.
The American Samoans are U.S. nationals, as
distinct from U.S. citizens. The total estimated
population of the six inhabited islands in the ter-
ritory (Aunu'u, Olosega, Ofu, Ta'u, Tutuila, and
Swains) was 21,000 in 1965. Ethnically, the
people of both American and Western Samoa
are Polynesian with little, if any, mixture of other
strains. They are a bronze-skinned, large-bodied,
hearty people who are dignified but friendly and
hospitable. Their language, considered the oldest
Polynesian tongue in existence, is closely related
to the Hawaiian and to the Maori of New Zea-
land. The population is largely Christian. Besides
the Roman Catholic Church, several Protestant
denominations are active. The latter include the
Congregational Church, the Methodist Church,MATHUATA
MBUA THAKAUDROVE
VERATA
Levuka
VI TI LEVU
REWA
MBAU
SuvaA.
9
LAKEMBA96
Fiji Islands
Figure 2. The Fiji Islands and American Samoa.
6
Pago Pago OFU OLOSEGA
ANNUU I.
TUmTUILA TAU
Leone
American $amoa0
PoC= 3 cz
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Air University (U.S.). Academic Year 1967-1968, Unit 11: Other Island Dependencies and Trusteeships, pamphlet, January 1967; Georgia. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1009962/m1/10/: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting National WASP WWII Museum.