Maneaba

Maneaba is a traditional communal meeting house and central social institution in Kiribati, particularly in the Gilbert Islands, and in related Micronesian contexts. The term designates both the building and the network of social practices surrounding it. The maneaba functions as the forum for governance, dispute resolution, ceremonies, and daily communal life, with elders and local leaders playing a guiding role.

Architecturally, maneabas are typically large, open-sided structures with a thatched roof supported by wooden posts, built on a raised platform. The interior usually centers on a main area where guests are seated, with benches along the sides for community members. The space is organized to accommodate formal audiences, ceremonies, and gatherings, and decorative elements often signal status, kinship, and alliances.

In operation, the maneaba serves multiple purposes. It is the venue for discussions on community matters, land and resource issues, and interpersonal disputes, as well as for hosting feasts, weddings, funerals, and religiously oriented events. Rules of hospitality and customary procedure govern who speaks, how decisions are made, and how collective memory is recorded and recalled.

Today, maneabas remain important symbols of communal identity and social cohesion. They are still used in many rural communities for important gatherings and cultural ceremonies, while some have been preserved as heritage sites or preserved and adapted as cultural centers in modern settings.