Common Cause (American Samoa) Inc

PO Box 4750

Pago Pago, American Samoa  96799

Cell: 733-0552  www. commoncause-as.org

 

 

Let it be heard and recorded that Common Cause American Samoa is in consensus concerning the 2010 Constitutional Convention in the following areas:

 

- That the present political status with the United States of America be maintained;

 

- That the Constitution of American Samoa remain intact, with consistent and universal enforcement using all due diligence;

 

- That the designation of “American Samoan” be documented within or as an amendment to the Constitution of American Samoa as hereby noted:

 

1. Let it be known that any person born in the territory of American Samoa is a U.S. National, fully protected under the A.S. Constitution, but is not an American Samoan, nor privy to any tribal privileges thereof. (Land, Title ...)

 

2. That any person of required Samoan bloodline born in the territory of American Samoa is a U.S. National and American Samoan, fully protected by the A.S. Constitution and privy to all tribal privileges applicable.

 

3. That any person born in the U.S. is a U.S. citizen, and upon proving Samoan bloodline requirements and lineage to American Samoa (historical family heritage) may become American Samoan.

 

4. That any person born in any other country is a citizen of that country and subject to that country's terms of citizenship. Upon showing valid evidence of meeting Samoan bloodline requirements and lineage to American Samoa (historical family heritage) may become American Samoan, after attaining U.S. citizenship.

 

5. The status of "American Samoan" requires:

a. Meeting the bloodline requirement as determined by tribal discernment.

b. Being born in the territory or having lineage within the territory as

    determined by tribal discernment.

c. Being a U.S. Citizen or U.S. National.

 

6. The status of "American Samoan" is not a statement of citizenship, but a statement of tribal eligibility. Tribal eligibility denotes automatic right to permanent residency within the territory provided all pertinent requirements for such residency are met.

 

7.  That designation of an American Samoan protects the positions of elected officials and sa’o titles of families.

 

Rationale

 

This designation of American Samoan attempts to define something that is in fact very important to be understood by all and taught to the youth:

The US Declaration of Independence, not the US Constitution, attempts to designate what an "American" is:

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator  with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed ... "

This calls for a "composite" society of multiple ethnicity all granted the same protections and rights by law, administered by governments made up and controlled by the people themselves.

A designation as to what is a "Native American",  is not addressed here, and resulted in a long assertion as to the "civility" of indigenous (Indian) Native American tribes and their people. "Civil" or "Savage" was the classic demarcation point determining who was to be considered "human" and thus granted equality as "men." Women were long held as subordinate to men until as recently as the 1960's, and still remain so in certain subcultures.  The measurement constituting "civil" (civilized) in the US, generally consisted of acceptance of the Christian religion, "modern" government, literacy, cleanliness, and ability to value commerce and trade, among others. The determination of "savage" meant "sub-human" or "more animal like" than human, often stigmatizing persons or populations given the designation as being closer to apes than men. Justification for enslavement, subjugation, eradication, reformation, or conversion was often attributed to biblical reference that "God gave Man dominion over all the animals."

The reason this bit of history is important in our case, is that the Native Americans were not seen as "equal" until their unity as a single entity - "Native American" - could be established, and by then it was too late for the insurmountable scarred past to remain to their detriment.

The US Constitution denotes that a US Citizen is a citizen of the United States, and a citizen of the state in which they reside.

Since a person born in American Samoa does not reside in a state, the unique designation US National is used denoting American Samoa's unique deeded self governance status.

 

The US Constitution goes on in Article 4 Section 3 that:

"... The Congress shall have Power to dispose of and make all needful Rules and Regulations respecting the Territory or other Property belonging to the United States; and nothing in this Constitution shall be so construed as to Prejudice any Claims of the United States, or of any particular State."

This further leaves American Samoa, and thus American Samoans in a precarious situation with the US government.  In light of historical ambiguities and present day flux within the political powers of the US, It is pertinent to define an American Samoan as not only an equivalent to a US Citizen under the US National designation, but also that "American Samoan" never be delegated as "secondary" in priority within the Territory and always "primary."

In other words first we define what an American Samoan is, then, once that is clear, we define that American Samoans have defined and protected rights over and above those automatically granted by the US designation of US National.  . It also denotes a defined designation for the protection of our culture and heritage for any and all agreements, treaties, or obligations both internal and external to American Samoa.

 

The AS Constitution, when upheld to its fullest, functions to fulfill aims of good government, except in providing definition of being American Samoan.   With an adopted definition of an American Samoan, we can begin to address:

 

Immigration laws

Land tenure

Medical Care & Benefits

Human Resource Processes

Senior Citizens Eligibility

Taxation

Education & Scholarship Opportunities

American Samoa Political Status

Bicameral Fono

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Submitted by Trudie Sala, Common Cause President , on April 8, 2010