SP Bonita: Thank you for allowing me this great opportunity to sit down and talk with you.  I’ll only ask a few questions.

‘You won’t know where you are going, if you do not know where you are from.’  You stated this is the epitome of what tradition means to the Gullah community.  What about the African Americans who have no direct connection to a tradition, or those who have no knowledge of where they come?  What do you tell them to help them find their way?

Queen Quet: First of all, this question is entirely too broad.  Each person is in a different situation.  That person’s spirit has to be what is connected with in order to “tell” the individual anything.

Second of all, the statement “Ef hunnuh ain kno whey hunnuh da dey frum, hunnuh ain gwine kno whey hunnuh da gwine.”  Is a statement that applies to ALL African peoples.   It is simply the epitome of my culture, but applies to others as well.

 

 

SP Bonita: Tell us about the documentary “Voices of an Island.”

Queen Quet: “Voices of an Island” is to bring back the actual voices and names of people of St. Helena Island that are depicted in a book called “Faces of an Island.”  The book was published by an Anglo-woman some time ago and is now being re-released.  However, many of the photographs in it do not tell us who the people are.  This is typical of photographic exploitation of people of color around the world.  
When their names are not present, later on they just become part of items of commodification i.e. books, postcards, etc. and no one in their own families benefit from knowing that they made history in this way nor from the funds that come forth from the products.

SP Bonita: There was a great buzz surrounding Julie Dash’s movie "Daughters of the Dust," was this an accurate account of Gullah tradition and culture?

Queen Quet: This was an artistic representation and NOT an accurate account of our culture nor language.

SP Bonita: In what ways are you preserving the Gullah traditions and language? Have you met with outside resistance?

Queen Quet:  My focus is the continuation of our culture and not simply “preservation.”  When we preserve things, they are put into jars for periods of time and then they are eaten.  Thus, they no longer exist after that.  I continue to live my traditions and speak my language and as head-of-state, I lead my people in doing so.   Daily I meet with outside resistance because there are many people of African descent that have been taught that they should assimilate into western cultures and only speak English and make money to serve themselves, etc.  However, our traditions call for us to respect Godly ways and to live from the land and the
waterways.   Keeping the land in our hands is not the preference of destuctioneers and those seeking to live on islands for the beaches and climate.  So, there is a constant battle to maintain balance.

SP Bonita: Do you accept private appointments?  

Queen Quet: I accept private appointments on a case by case basis.

SP Bonita: I feel a stirring of souls happening throughout the African-American nation, of people seeking out
other religion, healing, and learning about their past to make their future stronger.  Many of us are still wondering
around aimlessly, not knowing where or how to start.  What advice do you give those of us struggling to find our
way back home, back to the true traditions of the African in American?  Most importantly how can we start to
heal old wounds?

Queen Quet: Not trying to sound like I am singing a Michael Jackson song, but you must start with yourself.  You have to be honest with yourself about who you are and where you are and then seek knowledge, wisdom, and understanding without being upset with those that may have already obtained or retained what you are seeking.  We have many African Americans come to the Gullah/Geechee Nation stating that they seek what you have outlined, but then they do not want to be guided.  They want to act, speak, and behave the way they do in the places where they have grown up and that behavior may be completely out of line with African cosmology and traditional behaviors.  They have become more western than Anglo people in some cases and do not see it because they have not done true “soul searching.”  Thus,
they cannot be healed.  You have to be an open vessel to be healed.  When you have a shield up and on, nothing comes in including healing. So, when they come here and do not want to adapt to the way people do things here, they are often left out of healing circles because one does not fight to heal another.  Also, the healing is not an immediate thing many times.  It is a process.  Deprogramming must happen first and then re-programming can effectively take place.

SP Bonita: I read in one of your interviews how you respect the land, the water, the animals, nature.  I’ve often pointed out to people they should pay more attention to Mother Nature and respect her engery, from the floods, to the quiet but powerful storms, to the hurricanes, no matter how destructive, when it’s all said and done, you must pay homage to Mother Nature. They think I’m a little off balanced, but I truly believe man cannot survive without respecting nature and all its power.  How do you see the relationship between man and nature?  And do you feel it has a direct affect on what’s happening in the world today?
 
Queen Quet: I believe that all that God created needs to be in balance.  Given that people keep trying to out do God, things that people see as “calamities” will continue to take place as part of a restoration of balance.

SP Bonita:  There have been a vast number of tourists choosing the Gullah Islands as their vacation destination.  Do you find the islands changing, becoming more modernized?

 

SP Bonita:  Some time back while researching a character for one of my books, who is a conjure / medicine woman living in the Gullah Islands, and who would go off and gather different plants to be used in her medicines to heal people.  Do people still practice medicine by using the plants that grow on the islands?  

Queen Quet: Yes, people of the Gullah/Geechee Nation still use traditional healing methods. However, NOTHING in any of the books that you will find will give you accurate information regarding this.  I read these books about our healing and spiritual practices and let people know that they need to avoid those books or they may find themselves with major problems because the people writing these things are not Gullah/Geechees and have been misguided sometimes intentionally.  The books are to make money from folks that do not know better.

SP Bonita:  What would you like the audience to take away with them after experiencing the performance of  I’ll
Fly Away to Freedom?

Queen Quet: Enlightenment about the existence of Gullah/Geechee traditions and how the spirit can be free no matter what the circumstances you may presently face.  In addition, they can take literature and music from the Gullah/Geechee Nation in order to assist with the fund raising efforts that we have going on at the present time.

SP Bonita: I’d like to thank you Queen Quet for taking the time to share with our readers the true tradition and cultural of the Gullah people.   I sincerely hope to meet you soon.

Queen Quet: You are welcome



The Gullah/Geechee Sea Island Coalition appreciates your continued support in keeping our native culture alive and our people on our land. If you are staying with us, tenk hunnuh fa disya!www.officialgullahgeechee.info