An unintended result of the United Nations ' recent efforts to promote decolonization in Tokelau has been the re-emergence of a Tokelauan claim to Swains Island hitherto a somewhat dormant issue .
Swains Island is legally part of American Samoa .
An unintended result of the United Nations ' recent efforts to promote decolonization in Tokelau has been the re-emergence of a Tokelauan claim to Swains Island , which is legally part of American Samoa , hitherto a somewhat dormant issue .