The Gullah people are one of our most distinctive cultural groups. Isolated offthe South CarolinaGeorgia coast for nearly three centuries the native blackpopula... » 

The Gullah people are one of our most distinctive cultural groups. Isolated offthe South CarolinaGeorgia coast for nearly three centuries the native blackpopulation of the Sea Islands has developed a vibrant way of life that remainsin many ways as African as it is American. This landmark volume tells amultifaceted story of this venerable society emphasizing its roots in Africaits unique imprint on America and current threats to its survival.With a keen sense of the limits to establishing origins and tracingadaptations William S. Pollitzer discusses such aspects of Gullah history andculture as language religion family and social relationships musicfolklore trades and skills and arts and crafts. Readers will learn of theindigo and ricegrowing skills that slaves taught to their masters the echoesof an African past that are woven into baskets and stitched into quilts theforms and phrasings that identify Gullah speech and much more. Pollitzer alsopresents a wealth of data on blood composition bone structure diseasepathology and prevalence and other biological factors. This research not onlyunderscores ongoing health challenges to the Gullah people but also helps tohighlight their complex ties to various African peoples.Drawing on fields from archaeology and anthropology to linguistics andmedicine The Gullah People and Their African Heritage celebrates a remarkablepeople and calls on us to help protect their irreplaceable culture. «