Islands,
federal
and congressional oversight
and authority in local matters, and representation of the people of the Virgin Islands
in the U.S. Congress."
Virgin Island leaders do not view the current status initiative strictly as a means of political evolution. They see
the legislature's efforts as a means to address constraints to
the islands’ economic development.
The proposed "Compact of
Federal Relations" is intended to maintain existing economic
benefits
seeking
a
and
way
to
secure
others.
to resolve
Thus,
outstanding
the
Virgin
problems
and
Islands
remove
is
the
degree of uncertainty in its relationship with the U.S. government.
‘
:
American Samoa and NMI
American Samoa and
the NMI
are not seeking
political relationship with the United States.
to
change
their
American Samoa
currently supports its status as an unincorporated, unorganized
territory.
Its leaders said their primary political objective
is to preserve and maintain the Samoan way of life and land
tenure system, which they believe could be threatened by changes
i
in political status with the United States.
The NMI
terms of its
trusteeship
relationship
will formally be granted commonwealth status under
negotiated covenant with the United States when the
is ended.
The covenant establishes a more defined
with the United States, including a financial and
economic assiStance package and creation of a laws commission to
study
NMI.
U.S. laws to determine whether they should apply to the
NMI officials are generally satisfied with this arrange-
ment and are currently negotiating with the U.S. over new finan-
cial arrangements once the initial 7-year agreement ends in
1985.
However, they expressed hope that the new status and the
NMI laws commission will help resolve some outstanding problems
with the federal government, especially in tax and economic
areas.
(See ch.
5.)
RECENT FEDERAL EFFORTS
TO CLARIFY TERRITORIAL POLICY
In
1979,
the
Carter
administration
began
a
study of U.S.
territory policy.
Its objective was to identify major problems
in federal-territorial relations, and to set forth a series of
actions to remedy them.
The study resulted in a February 1980
presidential statement which reaffirmed the basic principle of
self-determination and established a policy framework to improve
the federal-territory relationship.
did
The 1980 policy statement was criticized by some because it
not
torial
2008221
include
concerns.
Puerto
Rico
or
Nevertheless,
adequately convey
the
14
statement
many
pointed
terri-
out
that
:
‘