The Presence Of The Gullah Geechee Culture In Belize: A Historical Perspective

The Gullah Geechee culture is not in Belize. The Gullah Geechee people are a subgroup of the African American ethnic group, who predominantly live in the Lowcountry region of the US states of South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia, and Florida. Belize, on the other hand, is a country in Central America with a mix of cultural influences from Kriol, Maya, East Indian, Garinagu, Mestizo, Mennonites, and more. While Belize does have its own distinct culture and history, it is not the same as the Gullah Geechee culture.

Gullah/Geechee language and its origins

Gullah, also known as Gullah-English, Sea Island Creole English, and Geechee, is a creole language with origins in the diverse languages of enslaved Africans and colonial English. It is the only distinctly African American creole language in the United States, spoken by the Gullah people, also known as Geechees, who live in the coastal regions of South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, and North Carolina.

The Gullah language is a combination of grammatical, phonological, and lexical features of the nonstandard English varieties spoken by white slaveholders and farmers in the region, as well as features from various Western and Central African languages. The language developed in the 18th century as enslaved Africans with diverse linguistic backgrounds needed a common language to communicate with each other. English was appropriated as this common language and was then modified and influenced by the various African languages spoken by the enslaved people.

The word "Gullah" is thought to be derived from "Angola", a country in Africa from which many slaves originated, or "Gola", a tribe on the Sierra Leone-Liberia border. The Gullah language is, in fact, closely related to the Krio language of Sierra Leone, with 25% of its vocabulary originating from there.

Gullah has a unique tense and aspect system. For example, the verb "go", pronounced as /gə/, is used to mark the future tense, as in "he go see um" ('he'll see him/her/it'). The language also has multiple negatives, such as "She ain go nowheh (nohow)" ('She isn't going anywhere anyhow').

The Gullah people have a rich storytelling tradition that is strongly influenced by African oral traditions and their historical experiences in America. Their stories include animal trickster tales, human trickster tales about clever and self-assertive slaves, and morality tales designed to impart moral teachings to children.

Despite facing stigmatisation and discrimination, the Gullah language has survived into the 21st century due to the relative isolation of the Gullah people and their continued embrace of their cultural heritage.

Gullah/Geechee food and cuisine

Gullah/Geechee cuisine is a fusion of West and Central African cooking techniques and Lowcountry ingredients. It is a grain-based cuisine, with rice playing a starring role. Gullah Geechee people brought rice farming and cultivation with them, having lived along the West African 'rice coast' from Senegal to Sierra Leone and beyond.

Other ingredients that form the basis of Gullah/Geechee cuisine include seasonal local grains such as benne seed and millet, along with stewed leafy greens and other slow-braised vegetables, like okra, corn, and tomatoes. Seafood is also a staple, with shrimp, crab, oysters, and fish being essential components of many recipes.

Gullah/Geechee cuisine is often cooked in one pot, with all the ingredients slow-boiled together throughout the day, resulting in rich, complex flavors from simple ingredients.

Some classic Gullah/Geechee dishes include:

• Crab rice
• Red rice
• Okra soup
• Hoppin' John
• Frogmore stew
• Perlou
• Country Captain
• Calypso pork loin with mango papaya sauce
• Gullah Bacon Corn Muffins
• 'Fuskie Seafood Gumbo

Gullah/Geechee cuisine has had a huge influence on Southern food as we know it today. As Gullah chef Benjamin Dennis says, "Charleston would be nothing without the Gullah-Geechee culture—period."

Gullah/Geechee music and dance

Music and Musical Instruments

Gullah/Geechee music is known for its unique blend of African and American influences, reflecting the creole culture that developed over time. One of the most distinctive features of their music is the "ring shout," a sacred ritual performed in a counter-clockwise circle with shuffling movements and call-and-response singing. The "ring shout" is accompanied by polyrhythmic hand-clapping and foot-stomping, creating a rhythmic and energetic atmosphere. This tradition is believed to have originated from West African religious practices and has become a significant part of Gullah/Geechee cultural identity.

The use of drums plays a crucial role in Gullah/Geechee music and communication. Each tone produced by the drums carries a different meaning, allowing people to send coded messages between locations and plantations. Spirituals, which are considered the official music of the Gullah/Geechee Nation and the state of South Carolina, are often accompanied by drums and other instruments. These spirituals are a unique art form that blends expressions of Christian faith with the experiences of Black suffering and the desire for freedom and return to their ancestral homes.

The Gullah/Geechee people also incorporate hand-clapping, footwork, and sticks for polyrhythmic expressions. The use of hands and feet to create rhythms became prevalent when plantation owners prohibited the use of drums, fearing their potential for communication between enslaved people. The Gullah/Geechee musical repertoire includes children's game songs, work songs, funeral songs, code songs, and spirituals, each serving a specific purpose within their community.

Dance and Performance

Gullah/Geechee dance and performance traditions are deeply intertwined with their musical heritage. The "Ring Shout" dance, for example, is a performance tradition that involves both the musical and dance aspects of the "ring shout" ritual. Additionally, the Landship dance, also known as the Maypole dance, is a distinctive Gullah/Geechee performance art. It mirrors the spirit and comradery of the British Navy, with participants wearing uniforms and performing disciplined drills and moves that resemble the passage of ships through rough seas.

The Gullah/Geechee Nation also embraces other forms of dance and movement, such as the African dance traditions brought by their ancestors. These dances often involve rhythmic movements and connections to the Motherland, showcasing the resilience and joy of the Gullah/Geechee people.

Preservation and Influence

The preservation of Gullah/Geechee music and dance traditions is of utmost importance to the community. Cultural preservationists, scholars, and community groups have worked diligently to document, record, and share these traditions with the world. The McIntosh County Shouters of Bolden, Georgia, for instance, have dedicated themselves to performing and sharing the traditional shout music of coastal Georgia. Additionally, films and sound recordings made by Alan Lomax in the 1980s, featuring acclaimed performers like Mrs. Janie Hunter, have been shared online by the Association for Cultural Equity.

The Gullah/Geechee Nation has also taken steps to protect their traditional lands and cultural heritage. In 2006, the U.S. Congress passed the "Gullah/Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor Act," providing funding for the preservation and interpretation of historic sites related to Gullah/Geechee culture. This act recognizes the significance of preserving and celebrating the rich cultural heritage of the Gullah/Geechee people, ensuring that their music, dance, and traditions continue to thrive and inspire future generations.

Gullah/Geechee art and craft

Sweetgrass Basketry: One of the most iconic Gullah/Geechee art forms is sweetgrass basket weaving. Introduced to the Low Country of South Carolina in the 17th century, this craft was initially practised by men and was associated with cultivation and plantation work. After emancipation, women started crafting smaller baskets used for storing and serving food, transforming the art form into a collectable craft. Sweetgrass baskets are made by weaving together sweetgrass, longleaf pine needles, and palmetto leaves. The sweetgrass plant, indigenous to North America and West Africa, is considered sacred and medicinal by the Gullah/Geechee people.

Quilts: Gullah/Geechee women are also known for their quilt-making traditions, passed down through generations. Queen Quet, the Chieftess of the Gullah/Geechee Nation, and her mother, Carolee Holmes Brown, are renowned quiltmakers who sell their quilts through their family company, Holmes Heritage Quilts. Their quilts are crafted entirely by hand, and they are known for creating rare double-sided quilts.

Paintings: Traditional Gullah/Geechee paintings are vibrant and colourful, often depicting community life and lifestyles. One notable Gullah/Geechee artist is Sonja Griffin Evans, a mixed-media artist from Beaufort, South Carolina. Evans incorporates tin, wood, and other materials into her artwork, using vibrant colours indicative of the traditional Gullah style. Her paintings depict various aspects of Gullah/Geechee culture and spirituality, and she has exhibited her work internationally.

Other Crafts: Gullah/Geechee people create a variety of other artefacts, including pestles, clay pots, calabash containers, hand-woven cotton blankets dyed with indigo, and elaborate grave monuments, walking sticks, and human figures. They also have a rich musical tradition, with Gullah/Geechee music and radio playing an important role in preserving their cultural heritage.

The Gullah/Geechee Nation hosts various events and workshops to showcase and celebrate their art, crafts, and cultural heritage, providing opportunities for the wider community to engage with and learn about their unique traditions.

Gullah/Geechee history and heritage

The Gullah/Geechee people are the descendants of enslaved West and Central Africans brought to the United States around the 1700s. They were forced to work on isolated coastal rice, Sea Island cotton, and indigo plantations in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida. This geographic isolation allowed them to retain and blend many indigenous African traditions, customs, and languages.

The Gullah/Geechee people created a new language, Gullah, a creole language with many African loanwords and influences in grammar and sentence structure. This language is unique to their community and is not spoken anywhere else in the world. They also developed distinct arts and crafts, spiritual traditions, music, and rice-based cuisine that exhibit strong influences from Central and West African cultures.

The Gullah/Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor was established by the U.S. Congress in 2006 to recognize and preserve the unique culture and history of the Gullah/Geechee people. The corridor spans 79 barrier islands and communities up to 30 miles inland on the mainland, from North Carolina to Florida. It includes several historic sites, such as Fort Mose in St. Augustine, and is managed by the National Park Service in partnership with local governments and cultural and tourism authorities.

The Gullah/Geechee people have a rich and resilient cultural heritage that has endured for centuries, despite the challenges of slavery and isolation. They have fought to preserve their traditions and lands in the face of increasing contact with modern culture and development interests. Their culture continues to be celebrated and studied by historians, linguists, folklorists, and anthropologists, showcasing the importance of their contributions to American history and society.

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