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79-463: Pala Lagoon is an indentation in the south coast of Tutuila Island in American Samoa. The villages of Nuʻuuli and Tafuna are located on its shore. Pala Lagoon is approximately one mile across and has a surface area of around 75 square miles (190 km) The lagoon's depth varies from 1 foot (0.30 m)-5 feet (1.5 m) depending on the tide. The deepest areas of the lagoon were dredged when

158-460: A campaign developed to raise money for the proposed society, and its first meeting was organised at Baker's Coffee House on Change Alley in the City of London. Eighteen supporters showed up and helped agree the aims of the proposed missionary society – to spread the knowledge of Christ among heathen and other unenlightened nations . By Christmas over thirty men were committed to forming the society. In

237-682: A cross fire. Concrete bunkers used during WWII are also seen at Pago Pago. Notable buildings in Fagatogo are the Governor's Mansion (1903), Sadie's Restaurant where Somerset Maugham stayed in 1916 and wrote the short story "Rain" about former prostitute Sadie Thompson (that takes place in American Samoa), the Fono Building which is the state legislative building, the Jean P. Haydon Museum built in 1917, which

316-493: A length of 6.5 km (4.0 mi), goes through a very steep slope behind the rest fale (hurricane shelter), which is also negotiated through a stairway and further leads down to the serene Vatia village on the coral bay. Hurricanes or tropical cyclones have been frequently striking the Samoan Island for centuries. To monitor and give advance warning of the cyclones, several Observation stations have been established under

395-539: A small group of people and be hard to sustain. Edward Williams continued his involvement and, in July 1796, gave the charge to the first missionaries sent out by the Society. The Society aimed to create a forum where evangelicals could work together, give overseas missions financial support and co-ordination. It also advocated against opponents who wanted unrestricted commercial and military relations with native peoples throughout

474-461: A species of bat, known as the flying fox , which is found in a forested area of Tutuila that is part of the National Park of American Samoa . This legend holds that the flying fox is the protector and guardian of the forest and its human inhabitants. The Polynesians first reached Samoa around 1000 BC. By 600 BC, they had established a settlement on Tutuila at Tula . Over the centuries,

553-403: A tsunami in 2009. The hurricane of December 4–13, 1991, was the worst disaster faced by entire group of Samoan Islands which was named " Hurricane Val ," which caused immense damages to property in the American Samoa and Western Samoa. The Hurricane Val in comparison to past hurricanes, was very severe and the storm force had a wind velocity of over 100 knots or 166 km (103 mi)/hour. It

632-401: Is 142.3 km (54.9 sq mi) with a shore line of 101.3 km (62.9 mi). The hill range which runs from west to east is rugged and winding with the northern coast line having steep cliffs and unusual coast line. However, the southern part of the island has flatter terrain. Good beaches are located at many places along the coast. It has a wet tropical climate. The highest point in

711-610: Is a public recreation area known as Lions Park on the western edge of the lagoon, in the village of Tafuna. Pala Lagoon is also utilized for fishing and crabbing on a daily basis. It is a very important nursery and spawning ground for many fish and invertebrates found on the reef. Pala Lagoon is situated next to the runway at Tafuna Airport . The lagoon contains the biggest and best preserved mangrove system on Tutuila Island. List of lakes in American Samoa Tutuila Island Tutuila has mountainous regions,

790-681: Is an unincorporated and unorganized territory of the US, under the administration of the US Interior Department's Office of Insular Affairs. American Samoa is primarily divided into two political districts: the Eastern District and the Western District . Tutuila lies in the Pacific Ocean, roughly 4,000 km (2,500 mi) northeast of Brisbane , Australia . The village of Fagatogo

869-664: Is commemorated to this day by the Torres Strait Islanders in the annual Coming of the Light Festival . The Society soon sent missionaries all over the world, notably to India, China, Australia, Madagascar and Africa. Famous LMS missionaries included: The London Missionary Society merged with the Commonwealth Missionary Society (formerly the Colonial Missionary Society ) in 1966 to form

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948-521: Is divided into three zones has a network of hiking trails. The National Park Service (NPS) maintains good information system about these trails. One such trail goes up Mount ʻAlava, a high peak within the park rising to a height of 491 meters (1,611 feet). A TV tower exists on this mountain and also the ruins of a cable car station of a 1.8 km (1.1 mi) long cableway which once ran over Pago Pago Harbor to Solo hill in Utulei . (524m ). This cableway, which

1027-777: Is reported to have damaged gardens. Two different species of flying fox (bats) have also been found on the island (described under National Park). Hard corals recorded are 174 species of 48 genera and sub-genera. The bird species recorded are under endemic category. These are: The Aplonis atrifuscus ( Samoan starling ) group; the Gymnomyza samoensis (black-breasted honeyeater ) group; Halcyon recurvirostris ( flat-billed kingfisher ); Lalage sharpei ( Samoan triller ); Myiagra albiventris (white-vented flycatcher ); Pachycephala flavifrons (yellow-fronted Samoan whistler ); and Rhipidura nebulosa ( Samoan fantail ). Four species of native doves and pigeons are also recorded in all

1106-560: Is situated 1,238 km (769 mi) northeast of Suva, Fiji . The island lies roughly 530 km (330 mi) north of Niue and roughly 580 km (360 mi) south of Tokelau and roughly 100 km (62 mi) southeast of the Samoan island of Upolu . Tutuila is a fairly small and narrow island, measuring roughly 33 km (21 mi) across and little more than 3 mi (4.8 km) from north to south at its widest point. The area of this volcanic island of early Pliocene age

1185-508: Is the canopy of ridge top trees, which roost alone or in small groups and are active during day time with two feeding peaks, the Pteropus tonganus (with black colored face with seal brown body) species roost in large groups (100 or more in numbers in each group) in thick forest habitat, also sometimes seen close to villages. Both species have a wing span of 1 m (3 ft 3 in) at adulthood, and weigh about 500 grams. The park which

1264-675: The Congregational Council for World Mission (CCWM). At the formation of the United Reformed Church in 1972 it underwent another name change, becoming the Council for World Mission (Congregational and Reformed) . The CWM (Congregational and Reformed) was again restructured in 1977 to create a more internationalist and global body, the Council for World Mission . The records of the London Missionary Society are held at

1343-481: The Flag of American Samoa was made the country's official flag. In 1961, the US president, John F. Kennedy , appointed H. Rex Lee governor, and approved US expenditure of massive funds to develop Tutuila, which throughout the 1960s was used to finance the building of an international airport, seaport facilities, roads, schools, houses, a hospital, a tuna cannery, a modern hotel, and the installation of electricity throughout

1422-517: The Manu'a islands, located on the eastern end of the Samoan island chain. In 1768, the explorer Louis Antoine de Bougainville visited the islands of Samoa and dubbed them the "Navigator Islands," after the islanders' practice of navigating the nearby waters in canoes to catch tuna. European whalers and Protestant missionaries began to arrive in the Samoan Islands in the early 19th century, particularly in

1501-495: The Tafuna Airport runway was built in the 1960s. The entrance to the lagoon is about 1,200 feet (370 m) wide with a shallow reef top 1 foot (0.30 m)-3 feet (0.91 m) in depth. Along the northern and eastern shores, a 90-acre (36 ha) forest is located with red and oriental mangroves . The lagoon's northern shore has various streams which discharge into Pala Lagoon. The largest streams are Papa and Vaitele. There

1580-924: The gospels . After attending Homerton College , then in Hampstead, William Ellis was ordained in 1815. Soon atter his marriage to Mary Mercy Moor on 9 November 1815 they were posted to the South Sea Islands returning in 1824. He later become Chief Foreign Secretary. In September 1816, Robert Moffat (1795–1883) was commissioned in the Surrey Chapel, Southwark , on the same day as John Williams . Moffat served in South Africa until 1870. Mary Moffat joined him and they married in 1819. The LMS only employed male missionaries and it preferred them to be married. The Moffats were to have several children who also became and/or married missionaries. In 1817, Edward Stallybrass

1659-581: The 11 French sailors only who were members of the Astrolabe and Boussole ships during the La Parouse expedition who were killed by the local Samoans in a clash on December 11, 1787; 11 Chinese and 39 Samoans also died in this conflict but are not mentioned in the honor list. At the defunct cable car terminal on the Solo Hill in Utulei there is a monument built in honor of the six US Navy personnel who died in

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1738-743: The 1830s. Two notable arrivals among them were John Williams of the London Missionary Society , and the French explorer Louis de Freycinet , who arrived in October 1819 and named Tutuila "Rose Island" in honor of his wife (and fellow explorer) Rose de Freycinet . European traders and Samoan islanders chose to develop the Upolu Island village of Apia , rather than the Tutuila Island village of Pago Pago , as their trading station. However, in 1872,

1817-615: The 1860s. In 1879, with the Samoans having declared that they were open to dealing with all three countries, the United States , Great Britain, and Germany together formed a tripartite government over the islands. In 1889, the three foreign governments held a conference in Berlin to discuss the political future of the islands and try to resolve their differences on that topic. The Americans expressed dissatisfaction with not having complete control of

1896-473: The LMS mission was accepted and grew rapidly throughout the Samoan Islands. The eastern end of the Samoan archipelago, was the kingdom of Manu'a . The paramount chief, Tui-Manu'a embraced Christianity and Manu'a also became a LMS island kingdom. 1832 – John Williams ( Ioane Viliamu as he is known to Samoans) landed at Leone Bay in what was later to become American Samoa . (Tala faasolopito o le Ekalesia Samoa) He

1975-591: The Midlands, expressing the need for interdenominational world evangelization and foreign missions. It was effective and Williams began to play an active part in the plans for a missionary society. He left Birmingham in 1795, becoming pastor at Masbrough , Rotherham, and tutor of the newly formed Masbrough academy . Also in 1793, the Anglican cleric John Eyre of Hackney founded the Evangelical Magazine . He had

2054-723: The Rev. Archibald Wright Murray evangelised among the inhabitants of the Ellice Islands . 15 October 1870 - Rev. Samuel James Whitmee arrived at Arorae (Gilbert Islands, now Kiribati ), and later that month he visited Tamana , Onoatoa and Beru . In August 1872, George Pratt of the LMS visited the Gilbert Islands. 1871 - London Missionary Society arrives in the Torres Strait Islands (now in Queensland , Australia). The event

2133-593: The Samoa Mission Press. In 1840, the medical missionary and explorer David Livingstone (1813–1873) departed for South Africa, arriving in 1841, and serving with the LMS until 1857. Moffat and Livingstone met circa 1841. In 1845, Livingstone married Robert and Mary Moffat's daughter Mary (1821–1862). Around 1842, founded the London Missionary Society's School for the Sons and Orphans of Missionaries, now known as Eltham College . David Livingstone sent his son Robert to

2212-411: The Samoans on Tutuila kept in contact with the inhabitants of the neighboring islands of Western Polynesia, Tonga , and Fiji . Tutuila served as a place of exile for warriors and chiefs who had been defeated in the wars that ravaged much of Upolu for centuries. It was also used as a place to which Upolu rulers banished political opponents. In 1722, Jacob Roggeveen became the first European to visit

2291-683: The Society placed missionaries with the Rev. David Bogue of Gosport for preparation for their ministries. Captain James Wilson offered to sail the missionaries to their destination unpaid. The Society was able to afford the small ship Duff , of 267 tons ( bm ). It could carry 18 crew members and 30 missionaries. Seven months after the crew left port from the Woolwich docks in late 1796 they arrived in Tahiti , where seventeen missionaries departed. The missionaries were then instructed to become friendly with

2370-573: The TV tower at Utulei , one of the three TV channels, was completely damaged by Val, resulting in its cannibalization to maintain the two remaining channels. The Fagalele Boys School , which was one of the oldest European style buildings built in the middle of the 19th century on the west coast of the island in Leone village, was also destroyed by Hurricane Val. At Utulei , at Blunts Point there are two guns of World War II vintage dated to 1941, which are seen in

2449-556: The Tahitians, named Papehia, was used as intermediaries to convince local chiefs to join the new gospel. 1830 – John Williams sighted the coast of Savai'i in Samoa and landed on August 24, 1830 at Sapapali'i village in search of Malietoa Vai‘inupo , a paramount chief of Samoa. John Williams was greeted by his brother Taimalelagi. Upon meeting Malietoa at a large gathering in Sapapali'i,

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2528-555: The Tutuila island is the Matafao Peak which is at an elevation of 653 meters (2,142 ft), which is highest peak in the island. There is trail opposite to the Mount ʻAlava peak (483 km (300 mi)) which dominates the northern part of the island. This 9.7 km (6.0 mi) trail is approached by a metal stairway from the southern end which goes right up to the peak. Trekking along

2607-486: The U.S. Department of Interior. The tuna canning and fishing industries provide the majority of the GDP, although tourism is a promising developing sector. Economic activity is strongly linked to the US with which American Samoa conducts most of its commerce, although American Samoa does not treat the US as an external trade partner. Funding from the US government adds substantially to American Samoa's economic well-being. Attempts by

2686-585: The U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), in American Samoa. After the first recorded hurricane (at least in modern times) hit the Samoan islands on February 10, 1966, which was declared a major disaster, "hurricane homes" called as "fale afa" have been built in the islands for people to take shelter during cyclonic storms. After the hurricane in 1966 the islands have witnessed many disasters due to heavy rains, hurricanes and drought; due to drought in 1974, due to floods, mudslides and landslides in 1979; and due to hurricanes in 1981, 1987, 1990, 1991 and 2004; and

2765-644: The US Navy recognized that Tutuila's Pago Pago Harbor would be the ideal place for a refueling station for the new San Francisco -to- Sydney steamship service, and negotiated a treaty with the inhabitants that would allow the harbor to be used for this purpose. Six years later, in 1878, the US Congress finally ratified this treaty, enabling it to be implemented. However, the US was not the only foreign government with an interest in Tutuila and other Samoan islands. Great Britain and Germany had been showing their interest since

2844-692: The central north coast of Savai'i island in Samoa in August 1837. He left the LMS in 1850 when he accepted a position with the Congregational church in Auckland, New Zealand. 1839–1879 – The Rev. George Pratt served as a missionary in Samoa for many years, at the station at Matautu on Savai'i island. Pratt was a linguist and authored the first grammar and dictionary on the Samoan language , first published in 1862 at

2923-508: The country. in 1962, Western Samoa became independent of New Zealand, leading to uncertainty about whether the US would continue to have control of American Samoa. The massive US development efforts during the 1960s served to effectively solidify support for the continuation of Tutuila and the rest of American Samoa as a dependency of the United States. In July 1997, Western Samoa changed that country's legal name to "Samoa." This name change

3002-541: The crew. Of the seventeen missionaries that arrived in Tahiti, eight soon left on the first British ship to arrive in Tahiti. When Duff returned to Britain it was immediately sent back to Tahiti with thirty more missionaries. This journey was disastrous. A French privateer captured Duff , landed its prisoners in Montevideo, and sold her. The expense of the journey cost 'The Missionary Society' ten thousand pounds , which

3081-467: The economic development curtailing events portrayed in many writings. More than 90% of the land is communally owned. Tuna fishing and tuna processing plants are the backbone of the private sector, with canned tuna the primary export. Urban development has taken roots in Pago Pago Harbor where fisheries and its allied industries of canneries have been established. The largest Tuna processing plant in

3160-463: The far northeast. Important towns and villages now developed in the island are as follows: the Tafuna Urban area, the largest urban area in the territory, encompasses a string of villages from 'Ili'ili to Tafuna proper; Fagatago , the largest town with government offices functioning from Utulei (both are urban centers located to the northeast of Pago Pago ); Pago Pago (a deep harbor that divides

3239-403: The following year, 1795, Spa Fields Chapel was approached for permission to preach a sermon to the various ministers and others by now keenly associated with the plan to send missionaries abroad. This was organised for Tuesday 22 September 1795, the host chapel insisting that no collection for the proposed society must be made during the founding event which would be more solemn, and formally mark

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3318-403: The form of two metal tubes projecting from a wall. The guns are seen at two levels, the lower gun is above a green water tank. The second gun is located 200 m (660 ft) above the first gun above the ridge. Both guns are accessible through a staircase made of concrete. In addition, two more guns of identical dimensions are also seen fixed at the harbor mouth at a strategic location to create

3397-416: The government to develop a larger and broader economy are restrained by Samoa's remote location, its limited transportation, and its devastating hurricanes. Hurricanes are relatively infrequent and although they sometimes cause substantial damage, the total number of deaths from hurricanes in the past 50 years is estimated to be fewer than five. Therefore, hurricanes are simply an inconvenience and certainly not

3476-454: The highest point of which is 653 meters (2,142 feet). The island is attractive to tourists because of its beaches, coral reefs , and World War II relics, as well as its suitability for sporting activities such as scuba diving , snorkeling , and hiking. It is said that the name Tutuila may have been given to the island by a woman named Salaia. She named the island after a combination of the names of her parents: Tutu and Ila. Another name for

3555-499: The island into two parts ), the harbor town opposite to Fagatago; the Vatia village on the northern coast known for its famous beach and scenic setting, which is also a coral fringed bay; and Leone , a safe anchorage station in the past where the Europeans and Samoans first started their interaction in the early years of the island's history. The southwesternmost settlement is Taputimu ,

3634-403: The island is based on the name of Salaia herself: 'o le motu o Salaia ("the island of Salaia") or motu sā (literally, "the sacred island"). In June 1722, the Samoan Islands were first encountered by a European explorer, Jacob Roggeveen , who gave Tutuila the name Thienhoven Island . A popular island legend holds that, when called to in a particular way, a shark and a turtle will appear near

3713-467: The island is dominated by lowland and montane rain forests. The lowland rain forest at elevation less than 300 m (980 ft) is dominated by Diospyros , Dysoxylum , Pometia and Syzygium species. The montane forest in the elevation range of 300–700 m (980–2,300 ft) consists of Dysoxylum , montane scrub , streams, bushes, mangroves , mangrove lagoons, reefs and submerged coral banks . There are 19 species of land snails in

3792-578: The island of Erromango whilst he was preaching to them. He was traveling at the time in the Missionary ship Camden commanded by Captain Robert Clark Morgan (1798–1864). A memorial stone was erected on the island of Rarotonga in 1839 and is still there today. His widow is buried with their son, Samuel Tamatoa Williams, at the old Cedar Circle in London's Abney Park Cemetery , the name of her husband and

3871-457: The island out of which 11 are endemic and four are in the threatened category. Mt. Matafao, which has many species of snails, has been researched from this angle since 1917; some of the endemic snails reported here are the Diastole matafaoi (endemic and may be extinct) and Samoana abbreviata (short Samoan tree snail, Partulidae ). Achatina fulica (giant African land snail) introduced in 1975

3950-508: The islands of Samoa. The four species are: Pacific imperial pigeon ( Ducula pacifica ), the crimson-crowned fruit dove ( Ptilinopus porphyraceus ), many-colored fruit dove ( Ptiliopus persousii ) and shy ground dove ( Galicolumba stairi ). Butterflies are another category of avifauna in the island. The recorded species are: the Hypolimnas thompsoni and Papilio godeffroyi (butterfly). The National Park of American Samoa in Tutuila

4029-466: The islands. The countries' ongoing differences led to a proposal, in 1899, to apportion their control among different parts of the Samoan islands, with the eastern islands, including Tutuila and Aunu'u, forming American Samoa, and the western islands forming Western Samoa under European control. The Samoans signed off on this proposal in 1900, and the US flag was raised on Tutuila on April 17 of that year. However,

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4108-507: The name "American Samoa" was not formally bestowed on the eastern islands until 1911, and the apportionment agreement was not formally ratified until 1929. During World War II , Tutuila was a strategically important island for the US Marines . Led by Colonel Lester A. Dessez , they established a military base there and erected concrete bunkers along the island's coast. Despite the island's strategic importance, it escaped almost unscathed from

4187-465: The nations which are in like condition with yourselves of old, to entreat them that they turn from their dumb idol to the living God, and to wait for His Son from heaven? Verily their debtors ye are. John Eyre responded by inviting a leading and influential evangelical, the Rev. Thomas Haweis , to write a response to Bogue's appeal. The Cornishman sided firmly with Bogue, and immediately identified two donors, one of £500, and one of £100. From this start,

4266-417: The natives, build a mission house for sleeping and worship, and learn the native language. The missionaries faced unforeseen problems. The natives had firearms and were anxious to gain possessions from the crew. The Tahitians also had faced difficulties with diseases spread from the crews of ships that had previously docked there. The natives saw this as retribution from the gods, and they were very suspicious of

4345-670: The non-denominational lines of the Society for Effecting the Abolition of the Slave Trade , to design a society that could prevail against the difficulties that evangelicals often faced when spreading the Word. This aimed to overcome the difficulties that establishment of overseas missions had faced. It had frequently proved hard to raise the finance because evangelicals belonged to many denominations and churches; all too often their missions would only reach

4424-560: The observatory. In the Fagatele Bay of the Tutuila Island where the Hurricane Val made a direct pass over Tutuila the coral reef was completely destroyed, a large strip of the coast was also eroded. In response to this disaster, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) dispatched an assessment team to survey the damage to the reefs. Apart from the cable way which was severely damaged and went permanently out of commission,

4503-777: The origin of the Missionary Society . Hundreds of evangelicals attended, and the newly launched society quickly began receiving letters of financial support, and interest from prospective missionaries. Joseph Hardcastle of Hatcham House, Deptford became the first Treasurer, and the Rev. John Eyre of Hackney (editor of the Evangelical Magazine ) became the first Secretary to the Missionary Society—the latter appointment providing it with an effective 'newspaper' to promote its cause. The Missionary Society's board quickly began interviewing prospective candidates. In 1800

4582-399: The plane crash which occurred as a result of hitting the cableway and crashed into the Rainmaker Hotel ; two tourists staying in the hotel also died in the crash. London Missionary Society The London Missionary Society was an interdenominational evangelical missionary society formed in England in 1795 at the instigation of Welsh Congregationalist minister Edward Williams. It

4661-603: The record of his death described first on the stone. John Williams' remains were sought by a group from Samoa and his bones were brought back to Samoa, where throngs of the LMS mission attended a funeral service attended by Samoan royalty, high-ranking chiefs and the LMS missionaries. His remains were interred at the native LMS church in Apia. A monument stands in his memory across from the Congregational Christian Church of Apia chapel. The Rev. Alexander MacDonald and his wife Selina ( née Blomfield ) arrived in Rarotonga in May 1836, then Samoa in April 1837 and settled at Safune on

4740-429: The ridge through the rain forests without any additional support system, the scenic beauty of the South Pacific Ocean provides a delightful sight. In the early 19th century, navigators passed through the Tutuila, the westward island among the Samoan group of Islands (one of the four islands called as navigators islands), when it was also known by the names of Bougainville, Manuo or Maouna. Midway between this islet and

4819-404: The rock the navigators sighted the Pago Pago harbor, which was marked by "a conical hill on its western side and a flat elliptical topped hill to the eastward." Leone village, large and prosperous, was sighted to the west of the island. To the south-east of the island is the Aunu'u islet. The coastal road runs for a length of 50 km (31 mi) from Fagamalo in the northwest to Onenoao in

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4898-540: The school during the 1850s. Eric Liddell , Olympic athlete and Missionary, also attended the school. 1844 – London Missionary Society established Malua Theological College at the village of Malua on Upolu to educate local men to become village clergy for the rapidly growing mission with over 250 villages and 25,000 membership. 1844 – London Missionary Society sent Samoan missionaries to surrounding islands; Rotuma , Niue , Tokelau , Ellice Islands , Papua , Vanuatu . Over 300 served in Papua alone. 1865 -

4977-460: The shore. According to the legend, a long time ago, an old blind woman and her granddaughter, both suffering the pangs of starvation , jumped off a cliff in the village of Vaitogi and into the roiling ocean below. But instead of drowning, the old woman was transformed into a shark, and her granddaughter was transformed into a turtle. When the villagers utter a particular chant, the shark and the turtle promptly appear. Another Samoan legend concerns

5056-425: The support of the presbyterian John Love , and congregationalists Edward Parsons and John Townshend (1757–1826). Proposals for the Missionary Society began in 1794 after a Baptist minister, John Ryland , received word from William Carey , the pioneer British Baptist missionary who had recently moved to Calcutta , about the need to spread Christianity . Carey suggested that Ryland join forces with others along

5135-489: The two species of the flying fox ( bats ), which the local Samoans consider as the protective guardian of the forest and also its people. The two species of flying foxes (bats) protected in the park are: Pteropus samoensis (known locally as pe'a voa ) meaning "fruit bat of the forests" and Pteropus tonganus locally called pe'afaunua , which means "fruit bat of settled lands"; The roosting place of Pteropus samoensis (with prominent light colored face with brown body)

5214-517: The war, the only exception being an attack launched from a Japanese submarine on January 11, 1942. Since 1951, administration of Tutuila and the other islands of American Samoa has been the responsibility of the US Department of the Interior. In 1956, Peter Tali Coleman became the first Samoan-born governor of American Samoa. In 1960, during his tenure, protections for the islanders were approved, including protection from confiscation of their lands and from loss of their cultural practices. After 1960,

5293-416: The westernmost settlements are Poloa and Amanave , the northernmost settlement is Vatia and the easternmost settlement is Tula . The island has population of 55,876 ( 2000 census ) (These figures include Aunu'u Island, off the southeast coast of Tutuila, which has a land area of 1.517 km (0.586 sq mi) and a population of 476). The economy of American Samoa is dominated by grants from

5372-487: The world, known as StarKist, is located in Atu'u , across the bay from Fagatogo . In the harbor there is a workshop of the Marine Railways, which takes care of the maintenance and repair of fishing ships. The island has six terrestrial and three marine ecosystems. There are two protected areas in the island namely, the National Park covering an area of 2,000 hectares (4,900 acres) and the Fagatele Bay National Marine Sanctuary of 66 hectares (160 acres) area. Flora in

5451-661: The world. After Ryland showed Carey's letter to Henry Overton Wills , an anti-slavery campaigner in Bristol , he quickly gained support. Scottish ministers in the London area, David Bogue and James Steven, as well as other evangelicals such as John Hey, joined forces to organize a new society. Bogue wrote an influential appeal in the Evangelical Magazine for September 1794: Ye were once Pagans, living in cruel and abominable idolatry. The servants of Jesus came from other lands, and preached His Gospel among you. Hence your knowledge of salvation. And ought ye not, as an equitable compensation for their kindness, to send messengers to

5530-450: Was appointed superintendent of the London Missionary Society stations in South Africa where he fought for the rights of the indigenous people. 1821 – John Williams is the first recorded reverend of the Cook Islands Christian Church (CICC) in Arutanga, Aitutaki, Cook Islands. It is here that the missionary work was first established. In later years John Williams visited Rarotonga, taking with him two Tahitians he picked up from Tahiti. One of

5609-442: Was established in 1988 for preserving its terrestrial and marine environment. It covers an area of 2,000 ha (4,900 acres) 14% of the island and is bound on the north coast between Fagasa and Afono villages. The Rainmaker pass is located within this park with its rainforests. The Amalau Valley between the Afono and Vatia villages in the park has many species of birds and animals. The most significant faunal species consists of

5688-568: Was informed that men of their village have accepted the 'lotu' brought by Ioane Viliamu in Savai'i; not knowing John Williams now stood before them. A monument stands before the large Siona Chapel – now CCCAS in Leone, American Samoa – in honor of John Williams. In 1839, John Williams's missionary work whilst visiting the New Hebrides came to an abrupt end, when he was killed and eaten by cannibals on

5767-676: Was initially devastating to the Society. Gradually it recovered, however, and in 1807 was able to establish a mission in Guangzhou (Canton), China under Robert Morrison . Another missionary who served in China was John Kenneth Mackenzie. A native of Yarmouth in England, he served in Hankow and Tientsin . Starting in 1815, they hired Abdullah bin Abdul Kadir as a translator, to work on many texts including

5846-556: Was largely Reformed in outlook, with Congregational missions in Oceania, Africa, and the Americas, although there were also Presbyterians (notable for their work in China), Methodists , Baptists , and various other Protestants involved. It now forms part of the Council for World Mission . In 1793, Edward Williams , then minister at Carr's Lane, Birmingham, wrote a letter to the churches of

5925-653: Was once the navy headquarters and Catholic Cathedral with painting of a Holy Family scene at the beach. Also seen are the Zion Church (1900) at Leone , the old capital of Tutuila and the monument in front of the church erected in honor of John Williams, the first missionary to visit Tutuila in 1832, the Radio Towers at Mt. Olotele, the Massacre Bay in Aasu village where a monument has been installed in 1883 with stone cross to honor of

6004-520: Was opposed by many Americans, including the inhabitants of American Samoa, who believed that using the unmodified word "Samoa" as the name for the country that comprised only the westernmost Samoan Islands would be confusing, and would undermine recognition of American Samoa as a distinct country with its own identity. Many American Samoans and other Americans who interact with the Samoan Islands still refer to Samoa informally as "Western Samoa," and to its inhabitants as "Western Samoans." Today American Samoa

6083-488: Was reported as the worst in 100 years in its intensity of wind force and the severity of the damage caused in the island. According to the history of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) American Samoa observatory, "Hurricane Val" struck the Tutuila Island from December 7 – 10th. The hurricane's eye passed over the southern end of the island with winds as high as 116 mi (187 km) recorded at

6162-478: Was sent out to Russia to start a mission among the Buryat people of Siberia. The mission received the blessing of Alexander I of Russia , but was suppressed in 1840 under his successor Nicholas I . Alongside Stallybrass worked Cornelius Rahmn  [ Wikidata ] of Sweden, William Swan and Robert Yuille of Scotland. In 1818, the Society was renamed The London Missionary Society . In 1822, John Philip

6241-497: Was the only single-way cable in the world at that time built in 1965, was damaged when a Navy plane attempted to fly under it and was caught by one of the cables, on April 17, 1980, and was permanently put out of commission. The cableway was used to transport the TV technicians to the transmission station. The descent from the peak passes through lovely vistas of the lowlands of the park and the rain forests which abound in several bird species. Another ridge trail runs from Fagasa Pass over

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