Kiribati Language and Culture
The Kiribati Language and Culture section tests your understanding of Te Taetae ni Kiribati and of te katei ni Kiribati - the customs governing behaviour in the maneaba, in the family and on the land. Expect questions on greetings, everyday terms, maneaba protocol, the kainga, land tenure, dance, crafts and food.
Core knowledge
- Mauri is the everyday greeting; ko rabwa means thank you (kam rabwa to several people).
- Te is the common singular article: te maneaba, te botaki, te katei, te kainga.
- The maneaba is the community meeting house and the centre of decision-making. Each kainga (extended family) holds a fixed boti, its seating section; the unimwane (elders) lead discussion and settle disputes.
- Manners: remove footwear, enter quietly, sit cross-legged, stay silent while anyone is speaking, greet elders first, and give and receive with the right hand.
- Land (te aba) belongs to the kainga, passes down through generations, and is not a commodity to be sold.
- Culture includes te kava (standing dance), te buki (wrestling), pandanus mat weaving (te kie), canoe building, toddy cutting (karewe), and foods such as babai, bwabwai, te mai (breadfruit), coconut and fish.
Worked example
You arrive at a maneaba where a botaki has begun. What is the correct response? Reasoning: The maneaba is governed by te katei, not by convenience. You wait at the entrance until invited, remove footwear, and sit where your host indicates - normally with your kainga's boti, behind the elders. You greet the unimwane first and remain seated and quiet while speeches continue. Each action follows a rule: seniority is respected, seating follows the boti system, and the meeting's order is not interrupted.
Traps that cost marks
Walking across the open floor between the elders and the speaker; taking any vacant seat because nobody is in it; treating land as individual property that can be sold; assuming English etiquette with first names or shoes applies inside the maneaba.