Stories From Kiribati

An old man named Toantemabine, once lived at Baretoa village on the island of Abemama. He was known to possess a rare skill of ‘binekua’. With this skill, a person could call or make the whales swim all the way from the bottom of the ocean to the shore. At the shore, they would be killed; their meat cut up then cooked by the villagers for food.

There came an occasion, when the people of Baretoa experienced an intense food craving for the meat of the whale. Thus, everyon...

Tetai is the name of the garland made primarily for use in traditional dancing. It’s so exceptional in its shape, structure, purpose and of course location on the dancer. It stands out clearly and can be easily identified from the rest of the dance costumes. It’s also hardly left out from the dancer during a formal traditional performance. And if it happens to fall down from the dancer’s head due to vigorous dance movements, it is a practice that someone from the dance group...

40th NATIONAL DAY

Celebration Program

12th July 2019

“Uarokoara nakon te Tabomoa ae Teimatoa”.

“Empowerment towards Sustaining Prosperity”

The sea disaster MV Butiraoi and its passengers had gone through is one of the worst ocean accidents to have happened in the waters of Kiribati. It indeed had taken the lives of 81 citizens that included olds and children. MV Butiraoi is a 17.5 meters long wooden ferry and prior to the disaster, it had been one of the vessels used for marine transportation within the islands of Kiribati.

The accident occurred on the 18th January, 2018, while the ferry was returning to Tarawa from N...

There are several different types of baskets that IKiribati can weave from the coconut leaves including bwaabwa, kabiaua, abein, bengabenga and more. This is so since baskets are indeed useful and handy domestic items which we can easily make from plenty of coconut trees growing around us. These baskets differ in their shapes, structures, uses and durability. Further, some are easy to make while others require advanced weavers to make them. Each basket is woven differently therefore if someon...

The word ‘bwaabwa’ is the name of a particular type of basket that is woven only from the green leaves of the coconut tree. The basket is rectangular in shape and has a long straight opening at the top. It looks attractive when newly produced since the raw material being used is the living green leaf cut right off the coconut tree. It then gradually loses its smooth greenish colour over time until the basket becomes dry brown. It is also light to carry and place it around the hous...

The trainee had been visiting the home of the missionary for the bible lessons. He usually arrived before 12, then after the lessons with the missionary, he waited for lunch. He then went off after the meal.

The missionary’s wife spoke out, “Did he come here to learn the bible or for the food?”

“Please, stop saying that. Show love and kindness,” missionary replied.

The wife agreed and tried to feel okay. However, the trainee kept ...

One day, on one of the outer islands, the police constable alerted the villagers of the tsunami. He rode his bicycle through the villages and for every distance of 100 meters or so, he had to shout from the road.

“Tsunami is expected today at around 2:00 pm. Prepare and get ready!” shouted the constable from his bicycle.

An elderly woman was busy cleaning around her retail store. When she heard the announcement, she instantly thought ‘tsunami’ was...

The word ‘itera’ is the local name for the special type of flower garland that consists of two layers. The top layer is made of green plant leaves while the bottom layer has colored flowers. The core use of this particular type of garland is for decorating and making a person look decent during formal and informal social gatherings. It has been an important device and its presence seems to not only for expressing the beauty and excitement but also for signifying the honour and imp...