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American Samoa
In continuing with the Four Islands In Ten Years story part two begins when, after leaving Papua New Guinea and the Peace Corps, we returned to Massachusetts for a yearlong respite so that Mark could finish his Masters degree at Clark University. While we were in Massachusetts a great deal of our time was spent researching numerous countries and locations trying to figure out where on earth we would go next to escape the snow and cold. So, when a serendipitous email from the American Samoa government arrived very close to graduation time looking for a planner it only made sense to apply.

Needless to say, after a brief interview and being offered the job, in December of 2001 we flew from Boston to Hawaii where we boarded a Hawaiian Airlines flight and were off to the island of Tutuila. In terms of political affiliation American Samoa is an unincorporated United State’s territory. With respect to its geographic location, Tutuila is the largest island of the American Samoa group and the territory is located in the South Pacific about half way between Hawaii and New Zealand. The island is much smaller than Papua New Guinea at only 76 square miles (about the size of Washington, DC) and there is a resident population of approximately 57,000.

During the two and a half years that we spent in American Samoa we felt the territory was a very interesting and strange dichotomy of American (e.g. McDonalds and Kentucky Fried Chicken) and Polynesian culture (e.g. outrigger canoes and fale’s (open air houses)). Strangely enough, the rarely thought about US holiday, Flag Day, which I actually forgot existed, was the most celebrated holiday in American Samoa after Christmas.

The recent posts categorized as “Four Islands In Ten Years” are simply meant to give you a brief introduction to where we have been, I will certainly write more in depth articles on our experience in American Samoa with Samoan culture, as well as, the Geographic Information Systems work that I did for the government and Terrie’s educational service as a teacher and principal. For now, feel free to read about the Samoan Matai (or Chief) system, learn what a fa’afafine is, or see what is currently happening in American Samoa by looking at Samoa News online.

American Samoa - graves in the front yard…