Monthly Archives: September, 2021
Gullah/Geechee Cultural Heritage Awareness Month 2021
De Gullah/Geechee Nation gladdee fa e time fa disya! Queen Quet. Chieftess of the Gullah/Geechee Nation, the Gullah/Geechee Nation Wisdom Circle Council of Elders, and the Gullah/Geechee Nation Assembly of Representatives are putting on shoutin shoes in order to celebrate “Gullah/Geechee Cultural Heritage Awareness Month 2021.” The month will be launched at the “Gullah Moja Art Experience” reception on Friday, October 1, 2021 at 5 pm at the Cannon Street Theater in Charleston, SC.
Queen Quet of the Gullah/Geechee Nation Receives the Order of the Palmetto
Queen Quet, Chieftess of the Gullah/Geechee Nation (www.QueenQuet.com) is a native of St. Helena Island, SC and the first person from her island to receive the prestigious “Order of the Palmetto.” South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster presented Queen Quet with the State of South Carolina’s highest civilian honor presented in recognition of a lifetime of extraordinary achievement, service and contributions on a national or statewide scale. Queen Quet has received approximately 300 awards and honors over the years and sees this one as not only for her, but for the entire Gullah/Geechee Nation especially for her ancestors that built South Carolina through their knowledge and skills. “Disya award sweet as a Gullah/Geechee Palmetto rose!,” she says.
Git Rooted Wit We @GullahGeechee! Support Global Reforestry Part 4
As I took in the passion and power of this global interfaith community and listened to the small collective efforts that were being done, I could immediately see the cumulative impact that this would have if we amplified these ideas of positive global micro-changes on a daily basis instead of simply having folks pay attention to catastrophe and disaster during the news cycle or via their newsfeeds. Instead of focusing on what town flooded today, what would happen if we flooded people’s minds with the healing things that they could do for the earth and how they could leave something that would benefit the next generation through a small action like obtaining and planting a tree and/or donating a dollar to help someone else in the world to do the same?
Gullah/Geechee Stop Sand Mining on Daufuskie!
Daufuskie Island Property owners and the Gullah/Geechee Sea Island Coalition are celebrating after thwarting a 3.9-acre sand mine in the center of the island and near historically and culturally important Gullah/Geechee buildings, burial area, and landmarks.
Zooming in on Interfaith Climate Action & Reforestry
Tune in to the 41st episode of “Zooming in on Sustainability” as Queen Quet, Chieftess of the Gullah/Geechee Nation (www.QueenQuet.com) is joined by South Carolina Interfaith Power & Light leaders Alecia Brewster and Fareeha Qazi. Tune in to learn about the SCIPL Global Tree Project (www.SCIPL.org/Global-Tree-Project).
Git Rooted Wit We @GullahGeechee! Support Global Reforestry! Part 3
Given that I am from a hurricane zone and live on a Sea Island that is dealing with sea level rise issues, under so-called “normal circumstances,” you would NEVER hear me encouraging a Tsunami! However, I was immediately intrigued by the Billion Tree Tsunami in Pakistan. Decades of tree cutting and natural disasters drastically reduced Pakistan’s forests. Pakistan has one of the lowest levels of forest cover in the region and well below the 12% recommended by the UN. The 1 billion trees have expanded the forest via planting and natural regeneration.
Gullah/Geechee Sea Island Coalition and 84 Groups Urge Congress to Boost U.S International Climate Finance to Support Resilience, Clean Energy, Emissions Cuts and Forest Protection
possibility of holding global temperature rise below 2.7°F (1.5°C). Strategic investments to help developing countries speed-up the transition towards zero-carbon economies and to protect tropical and intact forests, and other critical carbon-rich ecosystems is essential to delivering the necessary global emissions cuts we need this decade. At the same time, the poorest and most vulnerable in the world – who have contributed the least to the problem – are already facing devastating impacts from climate change. These individuals and communities need scaled-up support to build more resilience to increasingly damaging climate impacts. Robust international climate funding of this magnitude represents less than 0.06% of the federal budget, but scaling-up this funding will provide critical climate protections for Americans, support the most vulnerable around the world, and speed-up global emissions reductions.
Zooming in on Merkin Legacy & Trinidadian Reforestry
Tune in to Zooming in on Sustainability as Queen Quet, Chieftess of the Gullah/Geechee Nation discusses the cultural legacy and history of the Merkins in Trinidad with Sistah Akilah Jaramogi. Sister Jaramogi is the co-founder of Fondes Amandes Community Reforestation in Trinidad. Tune in to learn about the SCIPL Global Tree Project collaboration with the Gullah/Geechee Nation to enhance global reforestry.
Git Rooted Wit We @GullahGeechee! Support Global Reforestry! Part 2
Those of us at South Carolina Interfaith Power & Light seek to bring the type of peace that I felt at Fondes Amandes to others throughout our home state and around the world. We know that trees improve the health of those in close proximity to them. Trees not only cool down the areas which is becoming even more appreciated as deathly heat waves continue to happen in different parts of the world, trees also remove pollutants from the air. Scientists have also concluded that trees reduce depression and stress and increase lifespans. I know that my life force was increased by the journey to higher heights with my Merikin Famlee in Trinidad and I pray that the trees that were planted will speak to the souls of future generations that sit beneath their shade and share our cultural heritage traditions and connections as we did during that journey. Juss likka de tree, we rooted een who webe!
Gullah Wars 2021: Saving the Site of the Stono Rebellion
there is an attempt to annex which is usually a tactic used along the coast when folks seek to upzone and bring in massive destructionment projects. If the annexation and upzoning were to pass, more than 3,000 homes could be built on the headwaters of Rantowles Creek—which flows into the Stono River which is the location for which the Stono Rebellion is named. Currenty, there are fewer than 300 homes are allowed there. In order to keep this overbuilding from happening in this environmentally sensitive and historic areas, we must be like Cato and the Angolan men. We have to work and march together for liberty! We need to take a stand to protect the land!