Category Archives: Emergency Resources and Storm and Disaster Preparation and Restoration
Celebrate Victory with the St. Helena Island Gullah/Geechee Famlee!
Cum jayn de St. Helena Island Gullah/Geechee Famlee een a victory celebration July 29, 2023!
S.A.L.T.-Saving a Lowcountry Treasure
Salt is not the only thing that adds flavor to the coast of the southeast. Gullah/Geechee culture is also quite flavorful not only due to the way we enhance our cuisine, but because of the vibrance and tastefulness that folks find unforgettable about us when they encounter us. One of the places that you will often find us is amidst the salt marsh casting nets or going after blue crabs or picking oysters to feed our families while breathing in the very air that feeds our souls. Like the spartina grass or salt marsh that is a major part of our ecosystem, we’ve migrated up and down the waterways and held in place a cultural landscape for multiple generations as our roots go deeper into the soil and we stand tall bringing healing to this land.
Biden Administration Supports Resilience in the Gullah/Geechee Nation
Queen Quet, Chieftess of the Gullah/Geechee Nation who was an Expert Commissioner on the inaugural Gullah/Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor Commission and who served as the General Management Plan Chair will be engaged in several of the projects that will be funded. She stated: “Tenk GAWD fa disya! We land da we famlee and disya gwine keep we coast ya fa de Gullah/Geechee famlee stay ya. We binya and ain gwine nowhey! I have personally been focused on engaging with numerous divisions of the US government and with various sustainability, adaptation and resilience partners for decades in order to have them assist us in making the Sea Islands more resilient especially in the face of climate change. Therefore, I am looking forward to engaging in the numerous projects that NOAA will be funding along our shoreline especially the ‘Gullah/Geechee CREATE Debris Removal Project’ that we will work on with South Carolina Sea Grant which has been a part of the Gullah/Geechee Sustainability Think Tank since its inception. I’ve worked on living shorelines with SCORE (South Carolina Oyster Restoration & Enhancement) for decades. However, the Gullah/Geechee have truly scored this time! Tenk GAWD!”
Gullah/Geechee Mobilization and Celebration for Gullah/Geechee Volunteer Month 2023
Gullah/Geechee Volunteer Month 2023 affords the opportunity for people to stand up with the Gullah/Geechee in protecting their land and continuing their culture.
I’m Not Your Entertainment: Black and Indigenous Relevance and Relegation in Climate Action
I am now clear on why James Baldwin articulated clearly, “I’m not your Negro.” I could hear him speaking to my soul as I came to this space to make clear that “I’m not your entertainment.” We will no longer have what is relevant relegated to the side.
Queen Quet of the Gullah/Geechee Nation Amongst the World Leaders at UN COP 27 in Egypt
Queen Quet, Chieftess of the Gullah/Geechee Nation (www.QueenQuet.com) and the Founder of the Gullah/Geechee Sea Island Coalition has presented at several United Nations Council of Parties (UN COP) events since the first one that she attended in Marrakesh, Morocco. She made it back to Africa again this year to be one of the world leaders focused on climate action and will present several times in Sharm El Sheik, Egypt.
Gullah/Geechee Cultural Heritage Awareness Month 2022
For those that are intrigued by the traditions of native Gullah/Geechees, there are two major times of year that folks should engage in the events and postings of the Gullah/Geechee Nation. “Gullah/Geechee Nation Appreciation Week” takes place from the final Saturday in July until the first Sunday in August annually and “Gullah/Geechee Cultural Heritage Awareness Month” which is October. A series of events hosted by native Gullah/Geechees takes place throughout the Gullah/Geechee Nation from Jacksonville, NC to Jacksonville, FL are held annually. The celebrations combines online posting via http://www.Facebook.com/GullahGeecheeWEBE, @GullahGeechee on IG and Twitter, @GullahGeecheeNation on TikTok and releases of new programming on http://www.GullahGeechee.tv and Gullah/Geechee Riddim Radio with live in person events.
Gullah/Geechee & the EPA: Cultural Collaboration & Environmental Restoration
St. Helena Island is one of the many Sea Islands of the Gullah/Geechee Nation and is home to numerous sacred and historical sites that the community wants to protect from sea level rise. The health of the environment is critical given that Gullah/Geechee culture is inextricably tied to the land. Therefore, the Gullah/Geechee Nation’s leaders and the Gullah/Geechee Sea Island Coalition are encouraging people to come out and be a part of the workshop. They look forward to owners of properties that have such tanks attending so that they can help them get the tanks removed at no cost via this collaboration. In order to obtain more information or to register in advance, email GullGeeCo@aol.com.
Join Queen Quet of the Gullah/Geechee Nation and Other Faith Leaders for the “Faith Communities & Climate Resilience Summit”
Join Queen Quet, Chieftess of the Gullah/Geechee Nation and other faith leaders for an evening of discussion and workshops on building climate resilience and restoring our communities to places of safety, justice, and prosperity. Learn how faith communities, academics, and government officials from across the U.S. are finding new and creative solutions to climate challenges.
Gullah/Geechees Defeat Bay Point Destructioneer!
“The decision to uphold the Beaufort Board of Zoning Appeals’ original decision to deny the building of an exclusive luxury resort on Bay Point is an outstanding way to conclude not only Oceans Month, but to also conclude a month that has been filled with celebrations of freedom for us in the Gullah/Geechee Nation,” said Queen Quet, Chieftess of the Gullah/Geechee Nation. “We have continued to fight for our sacred ancestral lands and the waters that surround us because these are the places that have allowed our families to be self-sufficient for generations and we want these places to remain safe and healthy for future generations to do the same.”