Biographical entry: Hoahania, Hamuel

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Hamuel Hoahania was born at Hauhui in the 'Are'are district of Malaita. In his youth he worked for the South Sea Evangelical Mission (q.v.) and then as a medical dresser. He was sent to Honiara in 1956 by Waeparo, a Takataka bigman who had heard of the Bahá'i Faith (q.v.) and that its missionaries, a European family in Honiara, treated Solomon Islanders as their equals. Impressed, Hoahania invited Alvin and Gertrude Blum to bring their Bahá'i Faith (q.v.) to his Hauhui land in 'Are'are. Gertrude Blum visited Hauhui and Hoahania's conversion was the beginning of the Bahá'i Faith on Malaita. Despite opposition from the established churches, it prospered. Hoahania was a member of the Bahá'i Teaching Committee and the next year was elected a delegate to a South Pacific Bahá'i Faith conference. He assisted in spreading the faith in 'Are'are and neighbouring Kwaio. He served on the Southwest Pacific National Spiritual Assembly (NSA) for a number of years, and in 1978 was appointed an Auxiliary Board member. (Hassall 1992)

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  • Hassall, Graham, 'Pacific Baha'i Communities, 1950-1964', in Donald H. Rubinstein (ed.), Pacific History: Papers from the 8th Pacific History Association Conference, University of Guam Press and Micronesian Area Research Center, Mangilao, Guam, 1992, pp. 73-95. Details