The Baha'i Faith first reached Samoa in 1920 but little is known of how many families and individuals were brave enough to openly declare themselves as followers given the harsh sanctions local village chiefly councils (fono a ali'i ma faipule) imposed on villagers who strayed from the established Christian denominations in Samoa.
However, enough Samoans in what was then known as Western Samoa and American Samoa had followed Baha'i Faith that in 1970, a National Spiritual Assembly was elected.
Perhaps the public announcement of the conversion of then Head of State, Malietoa Tanumafili II, helped facilitate the overall establishment of Baha'i Faith in Samoa.
If you drive up Cross Island Road from the town of Apia to the southern side of Upolu Island, you will come across an impressive building with well kept gardens on your right, before you reach the top of the ridge. This is the Baha'i Temple, also known as the Mother Temple of the Pacific Islands that was completed in 1984.
Mr Milo Tauveve lives with his wife and family in the Sydney suburb of Mount Druitt.
In this interview, he recalls the early days of his conversion to the teachings of Baha'i Faith and the sanctions imposed by the village he was born and grew up in when his parents became Baha'i Faith followers.
