I-Kiribati Culture

The I-Kiribati people have preserved a strong and distinctive culture, forged over centuries on remote atolls where community, the sea and tradition are everything. At its heart is the maneaba, the great communal meeting house, an open-sided structure with a vast roof that is the centre of village social, political and ceremonial life, governed by time-honoured custom. Kiribati is especially famous for its mesmerising traditional dance, unlike any other in the Pacific, in which dancers, adorned in fine mats and frigate-bird feathers, hold their bodies still while making sharp, angular, bird-like movements of the arms and head to rhythmic singing and clapping. Mat-weaving, canoe-building and a proud heritage of seafaring and navigation complete a rich island culture.

What you actually see

• The maneaba - the great communal meeting house.
• The traditional dance - the mesmerising, bird-like Kiribati dance.
• The mat-weaving - the fine woven mats and craft.
• The seafaring heritage - the canoe-building and navigation.

When to go

Year-round; the culture is woven into daily village life around the maneaba, and events, celebrations and national days, especially around independence in July, showcase the extraordinary traditional dance and custom. A respectful, guided approach, observing local etiquette and dress, gives the most authentic and rewarding encounter.

Honest expectations

I-Kiribati culture is a living tradition centred on community and custom rather than a staged attraction, so genuine encounters mean respectful visits to villages and events with awareness of local etiquette, and Kiribati is remote and little-visited with basic facilities. As a proud and distinctive island culture, though, centred on the great maneaba and famous for its mesmerising, unique bird-like dance, along with weaving, canoe-building and a deep seafaring heritage, encountering I-Kiribati life respectfully is a genuinely fascinating and memorable experience.

Nearby

The villages of Tarawa and the outer atolls are the places to encounter the culture.