Eni Faleomavaega

Eni Fa'aua'a Hunkin Faleomavaega Jr. (/ˈɛniː fəˌleɪ.oʊmɑːvəˈɛŋɡə/ EH-nee fə-LAY-oh-mah-və-ENG-gə; August 15, 1943 – February 22, 2017) was an American Samoan politician and attorney who served as the territory's third lieutenant governor, from 1985 to 1989 and non-voting delegate to the United States House of Representatives, from 1989 to 2015.

He worked towards achieving a status of free association with the United States, similar to the relationship between the Cook Islands and New Zealand, to address what he referred to as "colonial abuse" in the territory.

One of his legislative achievements included securing $4 million annually for scholarships enabling American Samoan students to attend colleges and universities in the United States.

His father served as a member of the Fitafita Guard and later as a communications specialist for the U.S. Navy, a role that led the family to reside on Swains Island.

[4] In 1995, he authored Navigating the Future: A Samoan Perspective in U.S.-Pacific Relations, a book examining American Samoa’s political and social framework.

He graduated from Kahuku High School and initially attended Church College of Hawaii (now Brigham Young University–Hawaii), where he completed his associate's degree.

[13] Faleomavaega also participated in a boycott of Jacques Chirac, who made a speech to a joint session of the U.S. Congress in 1996, due to French nuclear testing in the Pacific.

[14] In 2012, both Faleomavaega and Togiola Tulafono, American Samoa's Governor, called for the populace to consider a move towards autonomy if not independence, to a mixed response.

One of Faleomavaega's top campaign donors, William Nixon, is a Washington, D.C.-based lobbyist whose firm, Policy Impact Communications, founded the pro-monarchy Bahrain American Council.

"[19] The bill was sponsored by Delegate Amata Coleman Radewagen, Faleomavaega's successor as representative from American Samoa, and co-sponsored by five others.

Faleomavaega and former president of the Marshall Islands Kessai Note .
Faleomavaega, a superdelegate , announces the distribution of American Samoa's delegate votes as part of the roll call of the states during the third day of the 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver, Colorado .