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Culture & Identity of Kiribati

Introduction

Kiribati (pronounced "KIRR-i-bas") consists of 33 atolls and a couple island chains making the country somewhat diverse, yet at the same time the people seem to live very similar lifestyles as cities are rare and life is approached slowly. Another thing that links the people is in their fight against global warming as rising water levels are sure to drown the country of Kiribati in the future as the country will disappear forever (many people are already moving to New Zealand).

Village life dominates in Kiribati and this life tends to revolve around the land, both in isolating the people on islands as well as providing food for the people in both plants and animals. Many people work the land to make a living and for these people this way of life seems to be at the core of the culture. Even the people living in the cities often have a lifestyle that revolves around the land as many occupations in Kiribati are dependent on the land and the sea. There are some service jobs and government jobs as well, most of which are found in the cities.

Most evenings are spent with family in the home, although some people also work at this time, especially those working the fields as the mid-day heat can be too much to handle so they work mornings and evenings. For some of these people the weekends are also occupied with work in order to feed their family or to maintain their standard of living. On weekends many young people enjoy getting together to play soccer (football), volleyball, or another sport. Also common for people of all ages are impromptu visits to see neighbors, family, or friends. These visits may only last a few minutes or hours. For larger celebrations the whole community may gather in the local maneaba, perhaps after church on Sunday.

Identity

The people of Kiribati tend to identify as either i-Kiribati or Gilbertese, which is an identity defined by a combination of country, language, religion, culture, and lifestyle. Nearly everyone in Kiribati identifies in this way and it is strongly attached to the culture and lifestyle of the people. This includes their religion, language, and lifestyle among others. This identity is somewhat attached to the political entity as well, but anyone from the country who lives outside is borders is also considered to be i-Kiribati or Gilbertese as well. It is important to note that this identity includes all people in Kiribati, not just those people in the "Gilbert Islands."

This page was last updated: November, 2013