talks and Hand of the Cause Collis Featherstone visited Baháʼís and civic leaders. In 1963 the assembly of Pago Pago arranged the first observance of United Nations Day which had the acting governor and other leading figures giving talks. Coverage of the event was carried by print, radio and television media leading up to the event in general and of the Baháʼís hosting. In 1964 a conference on Fiji which included Baháʼís from Tonga, Samoa, New Guinea and Fiji. Immediately following the first convention was held to elect the regional national assembly of South Pacific Ocean. Baháʼís continued to come and began to leave from Samoa. Also in 1965 the first Samoan pioneer returned to the island of his birth – the Tokelau Islands. It was three years before authorities allowed him to promulgate his religion. Samoan Auxiliary Board member Niuoleava Tuataga toured Australia giving talks to Baháʼís and Australian society on the religion in 1967. Russell Garcia and Gina, his wife, visited many islands among Samoa in 1967 and others giving concerts and classes in schools for several years before ultimately moving to New Zealand. In 1969 Samoan Baháʼí women stretched social norms by personally taking trips to attempt to spread the religion. From December 1969 into January 1970 the first international youth conference of the south pacific took place in Apia drawing attendees from Samoa. Australia, Fiji, Hawaii, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Tonga, United States, and Western Samoa. Hand of the Cause Abu'l-Qásim Faizi attended and gave talks both to the attendees and to the public afterwards. In 1970 the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baháʼís of Samoa was elected at a convention hosting Hand of the Cause of God Collis Featherstone, Continental Board of Counsellors member Suhayl Ala'i, Auxiliary Board member Niuoleava Tuataga, the nine delegates and over fifty members of the religion from both Western and American Samoa. The elected members of the national assembly were from both Western and American Samoa. Contact with civilian leaders In an event that would have long range effects on the community in 1965 Tamasese, one of the first native Baháʼís of Samoa, died and at the funeral members of a royal family of Samoa were present at the Baháʼí funeral. According to tradition, a fine mat is presented to the presiding officer of the funeral which in this case was an Auxiliary Board member. This mat was presented to