Tag Archives: African traditions
Queen Quet of the Gullah/Geechee Nation Keynotes at the International Hill Rice Symposium
Queen Quet, Chieftess of the Gullah/Geechee Nation will be the keynote speaker for the Inaugural Trinidad and Tobago International Hill Rice Symposium and Festival which is being hosted in commemoration of the bicentenary of the arrival of the Merikins to Trinidad. Following the War of 1812 between the United States of America, and Great Britain the arrival of this group of men and women, who are sometimes described as Black Loyalists, marked the beginning of rice cultivation in Trinidad. That tradition has continued unbroken through the past two centuries.
Continuing Gullah/Geechee African Reconnections
As we traversed the roads through the valleys and then up into the mountains, I gave thanks for the strength of the women here that I saw hauling items on their backs on the dirt roads and herding the animals. They reminded me of my mother and the elder mothers of my island and all the hard labor that they had gone through while hauling babies on their backs and baskets on their heads as some of these women were also still doing. I thought about the many early mornings that I awoke and traveled fo dayclean ta de field. I could feel myself balancing my neck as I saw other women with the baskets on their heads the way I carried mine in the fields and how I still carry them on stages now around the world and bring out our continuing African traditions from them for groups of people that still want to learn how we thrived and survived.
Toasting de Gullah/Geechee wid Moroccan Tea
Arrival in Marrakesh, Morocco was truly a long journey. Given that I flew on multiple flights and had a six hour layover in the Netherlands, the effects on my body made me appreciate all the more what my ancestors had been through on their journey by sea going in the opposite direction. Just reflecting on this took me right back to the place and space of giving thanks for the blessing of being able to go to the Motherland to represent the Gullah/Geechee Nation especially for such a historic event.
Gullah/Geechee Sea Island Coalition 19 Years Strong!
Queen Quet was given a statement by the ancestors in a vision and this became the Gullah/Geechee Sea Island Coalition’s motto which has been incorrectly published as a “Gullah proverb” by many that did not cite Queen Quet for the origin of the quote:
“Hunnuh mus tek cyare de root fa heal de tree.”
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However, she has lived these words as she’s worked on behalf of the Gullah/Geechee community for over thirty five years and she continues to stand and lead the efforts to keep Gullah/Geechee culture alive and heal the community from the hostility and misrepresentation that they have endured.
Gullah/Geechee Foodways and Heritage Days
Queen Quet, Chieftess of the Gullah/Geechee Nation (www.QueenQuet.com) and Afroculinary Specialist, Michael W. Twitty (www.afroculinary.com) had a dialogue about the revolutionary nature of maintaining a cultural culinary legacy and how this relates to the roots of Gullah/Geechee culture.
33rd Annual Heritage Days Celebration on Historic St. Helena Island in the Gullah/Geechee Nation!
Cum fa jayn de St. Helena Island Gullah/Geechee Famlee fa de 33rd Annual Heritage Days Celebration! http://penncenter.com/public-programs/heritage-day
Seminole Days 2015 on Gullah/Geechee TV
Tune in as Queen Quet, Chieftess of the Gullah/Geechee Nation (www.QueenQuet.com) returns to the annual “Seminole Days” in Texas and delivers a historic message to the Gullah/Geechee Seminole Muscogo Diaspora Family.
St. Helena Island in the Gullah/Geechee Nation Celebrates September!
While September indicates the end of summer to many, it is a time of continuing commemorations and celebrations in the Gullah/Geechee Nation. September is “Middle Passage Month” in the Gullah/Geechee Nation… there are a series of events that will take place on historic St. Helena Island, SC that will allow people to directly engage with the Gullah/Geechee community in celebrations of the continuation of their cultural traditions, organizations, and institutions.
Gullah/Geechee Po’ch Tak Bout Gullah/Geechee, De Sea & De Famlee
The Gullah/Geechee Sea Island Coalition and the St. Helena Branch Library on historic St. Helena Island, SC in the Gullah/Geechee Nation continue the “Gullah/Geechee Living Series” with an afternoon Gullah/Geechee healing circle which will be all about engagement and education centered on Gullah/Geechee interactions along the coastal waterways and human health.
Gullah/Geechee Nation Emerges from Tragedy into Celebration
In the wake of the recent tragedy during which the Gullah/Geechee Nation lost nine of its citizens during what has been deemed the “Charleston Massacre,” they continue to walk on with the pride and dignity of their ancestors as they come out of a period of mourning into a time of celebration. What would be an annual time to celebrate Gullah/Geechee traditions and culture is now also a time to celebrate the lives of the Emanuel 9. The Gullah/Geechee Nation will have a series of events that will take place during the month of July in order to honor the legacies of these nine souls and to bring the Gullah/Geechee family together on the coast from Jacksonville, NC to Jacksonville, FL.