Children dance in front of the 1929 Farmers Alliance Hall at the Annual Cultural Days Festival on Sapelo Island, Ga. (Diedre Laird)

A study released last month is bringing national attention to one of America's most unique yet little-known cultures: the Gullah-Geechee.

Conducted by the National Park Service, the Low Country Gullah Culture Special Resource Study examined the history, practices, and traditions of the Gullah-Geechee people, a group of West African slave descendants living on the coastal islands of North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia.

Since the mid-17th century, the Gullah-Geechee people have maintained their spiritual beliefs, crafts such as quilting and basket weaving, and their own language. As beachfront development takes over the region, however, the culture is dying out. The National Trust listed the Gullah-Geechee Coast as one of America's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places in 2004.

The National Park Service's five-year study, which focused on how to keep the 400-year-old culture alive, is "another tool in dealing with threats of development," says Michael Allen, one of the researchers and an education specialist at Fort Sumter National Monument. While past studies have been done on the culture, this study is the largest and possibly the first to gain the trust of the somewhat-reserved community.

"From the outset, we hosted a series of public meetings to engage the Gullah-Geechee community," Allen says. "We had to demonstrate and prove ourselves instead of just parachuting in."

Initiated by South Carolina Congressman James Clyburn (D) so that a bill could be passed to preserve the culture, the study explored several different options, including building a museum and research center or creating a national heritage area. Although the bill, the Gullah-Geechee Cultural Heritage Act, was introduced last year, it is still waiting to be passed.

"This study will bring a cross-section of awareness to a group that is deserving, as their contributions helped build this country," says Bernie L. Wright, executive director of the Penn Center, an organization committed to preserving the sea island cultures.

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