Jean P Haydon Museum – Jean P Haydon Museum

Jean P. Haydon Museum

Afio Mai and Welcome to the Jean P. Haydon Museum. We are located in the Historic District of Fagatogo. We are a museum of the culture and history of the United States Territory of American Samoa. The museum was established in 1970 by its namesake First Lady Jean P. Haydon and is home to over 650 objects, artifacts and art pieces ranging from woven fine mats dating back over 450 years to moon rocks commemorating American Samoa’s role in the US Apollo Space Missions.

Photo Credit: Nerelle Que Moffitt

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Gallery & Collection

The embroidery detail from a jacket was donated by High Chief Lualemana to the American Samoa Government in 1957. The jacket was originally given as a gift to his grandfather High Chief Lualemana of A’asu Village around 1870. The jacket was presented with a cocked hat, sword, and shotgun when a French warship visited A’asu at that time to transfer the bodies of the French sailors killed in the 1787 massacre to a common grave.

French Naval Officer’s Jacket

This ‘upeti board is an example of a relief pattern board in contrast to the carved boards more commonly seen. The board provides the background design in siapo printing.

Upeti Board

American Samoa has a strong connection with the Apollo Space Missions. President Nixon is seen here presenting moon rocks to Governor Haydon. These moon rocks are still in the Museum collection today.

President Nixon presenting gift to Governor Haydon

The Jean P. Haydon Museum has a collection ranging from canoe models from around the Pacific to full-sized Samoan paopao on display.

Canoes

The Museum has a cannon from the Hawaiian steamer HHMS Kamiloa, the only warship in the fleet of King Kalakaua.

Cannon

The Ma’a taife’e or octopus lure is part of the traditional Samoan fishing equipment collection at the Museum. It consists of a stone sinker covered with pieces of cowrie shell hafted with ‘afa (sennit). ʻAfa is handmade from dried coconut fiber from the husk of certain varieties of coconuts with long fibers.

Ma’a taife’e

The Museum has several ‘ie Tōga or fine mats in its collection. This particular mat is the most extraordinary of them all. It was donated to the Museum as part of the original display collection and is over 450 years old. It is said that the mat took over 100 years to weave, at the rate of 6 inches per year.

‘Ie Tōga

The ‘enu is a handwoven fishing basket used in Manu’a to catch small fish such as i’a sina. The basket has a funnel at one end. The Museum has a collection of ‘enu in various sizes.

‘Enu

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