Culture of Kiribati

Contemporary Kiribati culture is centered on the family, the church and the sea. Its relative isolation Kiribati has allowed "traditional values" and skills to be maintained.

In 1963 Gerd Koch, a German anthropologist, carried out research in the islands of Kiribati to record traditional practices, and in 1965 he published the Material Culture of the Glbert Islands. His field work produced 70 films of traditional practices and material culture. The Ethnological Museum of Berlin also holds approximately photos and an extensive collection of audio tapes (including music-ethnological material) made by Koch.

There are many social problems in Kiribati. Drinking alcohol is part of the culture and consumption of toddy, a locally made fermented coconut juice, is widespread. Alcoholism is a common problem, especially on the main island Tarawa. Domestic violence is also common.

Bubuti is a cultural practice such that a person may ask a neighbor for any material possession. If denied the request can lead to a major loss of face, and so is rarely refused. This embedded cultural practice may explain the very low GDP of Kiribati as measured by the standards of developed nations.

Kiribati has a history of contrived and ritualized duels. The armor was made of thickly woven sennit, a kind of coconut fiber. The duelists wore helmets made of blowfish remains. The helmets were resilient and, due to the structure of blowfish, covered with many points, which had the ability of damaging weapons. The weapons resembled broadswords with a serrated edge created with many shark teeth. The duels were performed mostly for the purpose of settling disputes and maintaining honor. The practicality of the duels is debatable. Due to the difficulty of moving in this armor, falling over and becoming unable to get back up was common enough that duel assistants were required.

Kiribati has been known for its traditional martial arts which were kept within the secrets of several families for generations. The Kiribati arts of fighting as opposed to Asian martial arts are not often mentioned or even advertised to be known by the general public. Though, there may be some noticeable parallels in principle to that of Asian martial arts, they are merely really different. For instance, generally, there is no kicking as in Karate kicks or Kung Fu kicks, and speed is more important than power. A list of some of these traditional martial arts is as follows: Nabakai, Nakara, Ruabou, Tabiang, Taborara, Tebania, Temata-aua, Te Rawarawanimon, and Terotauea.

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