Governor Lemanu Peleti Mauga has declared next Monday, May 15, as a holiday in American Samoa to commemorate the 98th anniversary of Swains island becoming a part of American Samoa.
The Governor leads a delegation of ASG officials who will be leaving for Swains Island, tomorrow, to raise the US and American Samoa flag on the island.
The celebration takes place Saturday, May 13th.
An advance team left for Swains on April 27 and they have been preparing the site for the flag raising on Saturday. The group of employees of ASTCA, Public Works, ASPA, and Port Administration, have been posting photos of their time in Swains. Also on the team is boat charter operator and diver, Peter Talivaa.
The church, school, hospital and a handful of homes, on Swains are still standing. One of the posts from the team said, they had been praying for rain and got a lot over the weekend. A well on the island is no longer in use. Fishing is great and they’ve been feasting on seafood daily and stocking up for the arrival of the VIPS from Tutuila. 
A proclamation issued by the Governor gives a bit of history of Swains island.
On March 4, 1925, by joint resolution of the United States Congress, “The sovereignty of the United States over American Samoa is extended over Swains Island which is made part of American Samoa and placed under the jurisdiction of the administrative and judicial authorities of the government established therein by the United States,”
On May 13, 1925, Lieutenant Commander C. D. Edgar, U.S. Navy, traveled to Swains Island for the purpose of extending the sovereignty over the islands in accordance with provision of the joint resolution of the U.S. Congress, formally hoisting the American flag and firing the national salute of 21 guns.
Swains Island is one of the seven islands which make up the Territory of American Samoa.
On October 13, 1856, Eli Hutchinson Jennings, Sr., an American from Long Island, New York, and his wife Malia, the daughter of a Samoan chief settled on Swains Island and hoisted an American Flag to declare his nationality.
Descendants of Eli Hutchinson Jennings, Sr., and every person born on Swains Island soil are nationals of the United States, subsequent to 1925.
The island which lies 210 miles north of Tutuila hasn’t been inhabited for more than 30 years.
On a sad note, however, one of the elderly and respected father figures of descendants of the Jennings family, Captain Wallace Pedro Thompson, passed away this past Saturday at his home in Pavaiai.
He was 74.
Thompson served several terms as representative of Swains in the House, and was a well known sea captain. He was active in Swains community affairs, and participated in the Swains meeting to select a Faipule for the elections last November.
He is survived by his wife Ruta, six children and grandchildren.
Our deepest condolences for your loss.
