American Samoa

Saturday, February 4, 2023

Rugged mountains covered in lush, dense rain forest greeted us as Island Princess maneuvered gingerly into Pago Pago harbor, angling its bow tightly around to snuggle against the short dock. We could see rain clouds moving over Rainmaker mountain. Sweet voices of children dressed in white greeted us with lilting songs. From where we disembarked, it is a five minute walk to Pago Pago (pronounced Pahngo Pahngo), a small village on the island of Tutuila, the largest island of American Somoa.

Probably what I liked best, other than the gorgeous scenery, was the people of American Samoa. They are beyond friendly, always smiling, and exceptionally excited to have their second ship this year after three years of isolation due to COVID. Pickup trucks rode by with people sitting in plastic lawn chairs in the back, greeting us excitedly as if we were their favorite Hollywood movie stars. Everywhere throughout the island, everyone waved and smiled. They are a beautiful people.

Embarking on Our Excursion

Our day began with an excursion that we purchased at the last minute from the cruise ship. Several ancient buses awaited us, the same buses used for the public transportation. However, long palm fronds had been attached to the outside to let residents know that the buses were being used for tourist excursions. The buses had plywood floors and seats, wooden ceilings and walls, and huge all terrain tires. The windows were just openings, with no glass. We ended up having to sit in the very back of the bus. We loved our tour guide, a young Samoan woman who graduated from high school in 2020, but she stood at the front of the bus and talked without a microphone, so we missed a great deal of what she said throughout the tour.

We held on tight, as everyone seems to drive very fast on the island. Our driver stopped at a couple of scenic spots along the west coast for photo opportunities. (Sometimes he had difficulty getting the bus back into gear.) The surf was incredibly gorgeous, and there were long stretches of shallows, but there were no actual wide sand beaches along the way. What sand we did see was black. The first section of seawall looked like it was recently constructed, made of concrete posts packed closely together on a slant to protect the highway from high tides produced by cyclones cyclones. This eventually gave way to black rocks.

What struck me right away is that everywhere we went, there were dogs wandering around freely. It seemed as if there were more dogs than wild chickens and roosters.

Generally the weather was very hot and muggy, although at higher altitudes, we did catch a tropical breeze. Usually the Trade Winds blow continuously.

Our first stop was at Flower Pot Rock (Fatu-ma-Futi), which guards the entrance to Pago Pago Bay. This was an incredibly gorgeous and unique site.

As it started to drizzle, we stopped at a waterside park, where two men about 50 feet apart were grilling chicken at the water’s edge. Throughout the entire island, was the acrid smell of outdoor cooking fires. Cliff stopped to talk at length to one of the men who was grilling, and was treated with a chicken thigh that had been marinated all night before it was grilled.

Everywhere we looked on the island, were what looked like large, open pavilions. They were lined up in parks along the shore, at schools and public buildings, and at just about every home we saw. Most were oval shaped, with a raised concrete base, posts all around, and solidly constructed roofs. Our young guide explained that these are “guest homes,” where families greet and entertain visitors. The more prestigious the family tribal unit is, the larger the pavilion.

Terror on the Cliff

The bus then took us up to the Tsunami Memorial. It was when the bus driver was backing to the edge of a cliff that I was sure that we were to meet certain death. It was raining, the earth was drenched, and the edges of the cliff that sloped to the rocks and sea seemed to be crumbling. Because Cliff and I were riding in the very back, I could see the edge of earth dropping away as the driver continued backing up, tugging and jerking the bus’s gears. I yelled out “STOP!!!” Cliff was so embarrassed, but I about had a heart attack, especially after I got out of the bus and walked around the back and saw that it had stopped with the back of the bus only inches from the edge. When the driver started the bus back up again, I prayed that the gears would hold so that we wouldn’t go plummeting backwards over the cliff.

Memorials and Tombs

On the islands, we saw quite a few memorials — for example, for those who died at sea and in the 2009 tsunami. People are interred above ground in concrete structures, as in New Orleans, but instead of graveyards, the tombs are in the familes’ front yards. The highest structures are for family tribal chiefs.

The Samoan Village

After the Tsunami Memorial, we traveled onto a rugged rock and dirt road through thick rain forest vegetation. Breadfruit and clusters of bananas and coconuts hung heavily from the trees. By this time, it was raining heavily and we were getting wet from the open windows. Drenched leaves and branches slapped at our heads and shoulders. We arrived at what was promised to be a traditional Samoan village.

I expected a cluster of fale homes, which were oval structures with floors of coral pebbles and round wooden posts supporting a beehive-shaped roof covered with sugar cane thatch.

Fale homes were very open, fostering interaction with passersby. They were well adapted to the tropical environment, and could be easily rebuilt with island resources. Furnishings were minimal, with mats for sitting and sleeping. Privacy was also minimal, and still seems to be so to this day. I read that for most families, the house or fale was for sleeping, and there might be a small cookhouse out back.

However, since the 1970’s, the U.S. promoted the building of concrete “hurricane houses,” with corrugated metal roofs. These are small, rectangular, with more enclosed doors, windows, and sometimes room partitions. Most are now fully furnished and have TV and telephones.

The small cluster of humble homes in the familial village that we visited were humble hurricane houses, built of concrete and plywood. There was a pavilion, but the several bus loads of folks were not invited there. Instead, we were directed to a tarp covered area with over a hundred ancient plastic lawn chairs on the grass. We picked our way gingerly through the wet dog droppings. Some of the tourists wandered off toward the outside restrooms or to the little hut that was a shop where you could buy a souvenir or a bottle of water or soda.

A Samoan woman with a microphone called us to attention and introduced two men dressed in the traditional lavalava, which is a beautifully printed rectangle of cloth draped around you like a skirt or kilt. One of them stood on a little promontory above what looked like a smoking trash pile. He grabbed a coconut and thrust it down onto a stake of rebar planted deeply into the ground. He twisted the coconut around to dispose of the outside green husk and held the coconut in the air for us to admire. Then he took a river rock and tapped it around the coconut and finally struck it, breaking into two perfect halves. He gave one half to the other man, and held the other half up in the air, tilting it so that the coconut water splashed into his face and mouth as he shook his head and grinned.

He walked down to where the other man was sitting on a narrow bench, with a long spoon-like piece of metal attached to a plank that was nailed to the bench. He demonstrated how to shred the coconut meat. Then he held up a handful of Tauaga (fibers from the Laufao plant, teased into strings and then put out to dry in the sun) which he held under the water streaming from the outdoor faucet. He placed the shredded coconut into the cluster of Tauaga fibers and squeezed it to produce coconut milk, which was poured onto a leafy vegetable that they call “spinach” (but it is nothing like spinach) and then then wrapped the bundle in banana leaves until it was a tight ball.

The smoking trash pile was a ground oven for preparing the Umu meal. A fire is built in the ground, and then a square of old sheet metal is placed on top. On top of that are river rocks, each about the size of a man’s open palm. When the river rocks are heated to the right temperature, the food is placed on top. One of the men placed the round bundle of “spinach” on top, and then a cluster of bananas on top of that. The types of food cooked in the ground oven for us to taste was taro, breadfruit, bananas and sweet potatoes. Other types of food grown on the islands include cocoa (which was made into a hot drink that we sampled), yams, pineapple, cassava, papaya, kava, tropical avocados, star fruit, mangos, guava and plantains. Samoans also enjoy fish, rice, onion, potatoes, chicken and pork.

Next, were were invited to visit a cluster of little huts, to see how the hot cocoa drink is made and taste it, taste their favorite snacks, and receive little samples of what had been cooked over the ground oven.

After that, we sat back down and were treated to traditional dancing by two little girls, a teenager, and a young woman. Two male volunteers pulled from the audience were then wrapped in the traditional lavalava, and asked to dance with the princess. When she appeared, we all were impressed by her traditional royal clothing and headdress. She was wrapped in a woven stiff skirt, which you also see in Tahiti and Hawaii. The princess looked like she was perhaps 14 to 16 years old, but she was only 11. After her dance, we all piled back into the buses.

If we were to do it again, we would take either the East Island Drive and Beach Vista excursion, or the West Island Drive Samoan Ava Ceremony.

Sights Along the Way

We saw many sights along the way to the village and back to the port, including elementary and high schools, many churches of various denominations, a community college, a U.S. national guard station, an airport, golf course, and water treatment plant. The most beautiful and modern building we saw was a bank. Most of the stores were humble concrete structures, including the McDonalds and Carl’s Jr. Many of the stores had barred windows.

Man vs. Nature

The tour guide told us about the 2009 earthquake, which registered 8.1 and the subsequent disastrous tsunami. Back then there were no tsunami warnings, but they do have them now. She was getting dressed for school and could feel the earth shake. She ran out of the house and to school. The tsunami wiped out huge sections and several villages, with waves up to 72 feet high. Areas greater than 50 feet above sea level were affected. About 200 people died.

On isolated islands, especially American Samoa, which is almost 4000 miles away from the United States, resources to rebuilt after disasters such as cyclones and tsunamis must be very scarce. If you have a low income and rely on food stamps, as many American Samoans do, how could you replace your windows and doors, even if they were available?

In American Samoa, I truly felt the intensity that the struggle of man versus nature must be in these islands. Near the airport, they receive about 125 inches of rain a year, but four miles away in Pago Pago, they get about 200 inches a year. Tropical cyclones and typhoons occur usually between December and March, the rainy season. We could see where trees have fallen on roads and recently cleared away, areas where there were mud slides, and the jungle-like growth that must cover everything quickly if it is not continuously beaten back. It takes a very strong people who can survive there, and through it all, be so laid back, upbeat, and able to take it all in stride.

The Samoan Way

Fa’aSamoa refers to The Samoan Way, which encompasses the attitudes, beliefs and traditions that symbolize their world view, which is shared throughout the archipelago, and is their explanation of the appropriate way to live. Although heavily influenced by American culture, the ancient Samoan attitudes and beliefs continue to prevail.

Samoans originated out of Southeast Asia, and have occupied the islands for over 3500 years. They brought with them taro, yams, breadfruit, sugar cane, pineapples, pigs, chickens, dogs and their pottery (lapita ware).

The early evening hours are dedicated for a prayer period. It is signaled with three gongs. The first means return to your house. The second signifies prayer time. The third gong is the all clear. Swimming and fishing are usually forbidden on Sunday. Curfews are in place and taken seriously. Our tour guide says that if girls and young single women are not home by 7:00, their heads are shaven.

The Samoan Way of Life is a network of communal family groups, each giving allegiance to a chief, or matai, whose word is law. Samoans are meticulous about courtesy, especially with the elderly and holders of chiefly titles. For example, they don’t stand while others are seated. When you are seated, you fold your legs in a way that the bottom of your feet are not pointing toward them.

A Little History

Although a U.S. territory, there is much poverty in American Somoa, with the lowest average income of all U.S. states and territories. The poverty rate is over 50%. Washington D.C. provides about half of the American Samoan government’s revenue. Tourism is only a minuscule part of the economy. The government comprises thirty percent of the workforce, while tuna canneries employ 33%; 37% is service, professional and laborers. I read that attempts to broaden the economy is restrained by remoteness and limited transportation.

American Samoa has the highest percentage of recruits/volunteers joining the U.S. military of all U.S. states and territories. What is interesting is that more American Samoans live in the United States than in their own islands. However, as the tour guide said, “No matter what color we are or where we live, we will always be Samoans.”

More than 90% of the land in American Samoa is community owned. In order to own land, you must be at least 50% Samoan.

The independent country of Samoa, which is more geared toward tourism, is about 80 miles from American Samoa, and they are divided by the International Dateline (since 2011). Samoa is more connected to New Zealand and Australia, so they are a day apart from American Samoa, which is more aligned with the United States.

American Samoa is comprised of seven islands, together only a total of 77 square miles. Half of that belongs to Tutuila (where Pago Pago is located), which is actually the remains of an ancient volcano. One side of Tutuila’s crater blew away, cutting the island in two, and creating the bent arm of Pago Pago Harbor. Two coral atolls or rings of coral, surround the islands. American Samoa is located in a seismic zone called “Ring of Fire,” which makes then islands subject to earthquakes and tsunamis. El Niño also affects the weather, sometimes causing droughts and subsequent forest fires and water shortages.

In the rainforests are tropical birds such as honeyeaters, Samoan starlings, and tropical doves. There are indigenous species of fruit bats, including the flying fox (after which a Samoan brewery has been named). Eight species of whales, including the humpback, sperm whales, and orca, live in the waters, as well as the banded sea krait (sea snake), which nests on the shore like the sea turtles.

In 1899, the U.S. Navy established a coaling station in Pago Pago Harbor. Pago Pago has been the territory of the United States since the implementation of the 1900 Deed of Cessio, and the harbor was used as the site of an American naval base. After World War II, when the U.S. Navy departed, it left the islands’ economy stripped. Today, American Samoan is a non-incorporated territory under the sovereignty of the United States.

In 1961, Reader’s Digest ran an article, “America’s Shame in the South Seas.” The author was appalled at the lack of roads and adequate schools (at the time, schools were held in the small Fale style huts), medical care, water and sewer service, and housing. The United States then moved into action by paving the roads, building an international airport, creating infrastructure such as water, sewer and electrical systems, and building a schools, a modern hotel and convention center. A mile-long cable was installed across Pago Pago Harbor so that a TV transmitter could be built on top of Mount Alava. This allowed educational programs to be beamed into the schools. Knowing all of this put into perspective why our young tour guide seemed so proud to point out the water treatment plant, which was close the cruise port.