No. 725 Mata Brown and Finau Conklin, 2008

File — Box: 71, Folder: 24

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

Twins Mata Brown and Finau Conklin were born and raised in Fiji. Their uncle, Sitiveni Rabuka, was the prime minister of Fiji. They attended college in Hawaii and Utah, starting at BYU-Hawaii and the Polynesian Cultural Center. Mata received a BA from BYU in political science, and Finau took hers in social work. Both are LDS and describe their conversion to that faith, including their experiences with the Methodist and Adventist churches in Fiji. Mata is married to a man from Idaho and Finau to a man from California. They discuss growing up in Fiji at some length, including politics and Indian-Fijian ethnic relations and describe life in Utah and Hawaii. Both mention having been subjected to some discrimination. The interview is full of detail on Fijian life, religion, and Polynesian experiences in Utah.
Project: Pacific Islander Oral History Project.
Interviewer: Savani Aupiu.

Dates

2008

Conditions Governing Access

Twenty-four hour advanced notice encouraged. Materials must be used on-site. Access to parts of this collection may be restricted under provisions of state or federal law.