Today’s Charlotte Observer’s education section highlighted my trip to St. Helena Island this summer. Read the article!
Archive for the ‘Gullah/Geechee Experience’ Category
My trip to St. Helena Island: A journalist’s view
Sunday, September 10th, 2006Test Your Gullah Language Skills!
Wednesday, July 12th, 2006Following is a list of Gullah words or expressions. Click on the “read the rest of this story” link to check your answers!
1. riba
2. silver dime
3. coota
4. hands-dem
5. mout
6. yez
7. gayta
8. craker sack
9. crack yo teet
10. small-small
11. haint
12. oona da nyam
13. bidi
14. plat-eye
15. glad-glad
16. groundnuts or pinders
17. haid
18. chirren
19. dayclean
20. ooman
Wha E Mean fa Be Gullah! (Volume Two)
Wednesday, July 12th, 2006This book is the work of 2600 3rd grade children from Georgetown and Horry Counties (SC) who attended Gullah Gullah Days 2006. On this day, students participate in educational activities about the Gullah Culture. Student experiences include Gullah storytelling, an interactive rhythm presentation, and cultural snacks.
Upon returning from this event, students create stories, slave diaries, drawings, and book reports/poetry related to Gullah literature, beliefs, traditions, and superstitions.
The Water Brought Us: The Story of the Gullah-Speaking People by Muriel Miller Branch
Wednesday, July 12th, 2006This book was so good! It was a very quick read and a great refresher to many of the things I learned about the Gullah people on my sea island study.
Basically, the overview is such: Gullah-speaking people have traced their origins and culture to the West Coast of Africa. Along this coast, you will still see today, castles and forts where captured Africans awaited transport into the West Indies and America for slavery.
The Gullah language is actually a combination of 4 languages. When the Africans were boarded on the ships for transport, special care was taken to mix them all up and place them with varying tribes to limit communication among themselves. The Gullah-speaking people assimilated their language with languages of those around them, and still today Gullah is spoken throughout NC, SC, FL, and GA, namely along the coastline, where their culture still resides and thrives.
Queen Quet
Wednesday, July 5th, 2006
Queen Quet is the Chieftess of the Gullah/Geechee nation. While I was on St. Helena Island, she conducted many tours and speeches to educate us about her family’s history on the island. She is a descendant of two Gullah families. I found myself so enthraled by her motivation and dedication in preserving the Gullah nation. She is an inspiration to all people who are driven to uncover their family history and preserve the past by teaching future generations.
Gullah/Geechee Experience Overview
Thursday, June 22nd, 2006I have just completed a week-long intensive study of the Gullah/Geechee culture in coastal South Carolina. More specifically, I stayed at historic Penn Center on St. Helena Island, one of the many sea islands off the coastline around Beaufort. I was able to interact daily with the people here, who were brought from Western Africa during the 1670s as enslaved peoples. The Gullah/Geechee used their knowledge of ocean science learned in Africa to cultivate rice, sea cotton and indigo. Check back frequently as I will be documenting my whole experience with journaling and pictures!