When I first moved to the Lowcountry of South Carolina, the burning controversy over the confederate flag atop the state house, was in hot debate. As a Northerner, having grown up and lived in New York City for my entire life, the whole issue was just bizarre. The word heritage was being thrown around too easily by those who defended the old battle flag, with no real attempt to describe what that heritage really was. This set me off on a journey to see what I could find. I concentrated on the ninety miles or so between the vacation mecca of Myrtle Beach, and the historic city of Charleston, where the first shots of the Civil War rang out. Across this coastal landscape, I discovered a rich heritage of natural, human, and American history.
The very word Lowcountry, seems to perfectly describe the land. Water and its influence is visible everywhere. The endless miles of ocean, marshes, and swamplands have left their mark on the land and people. Fragile saltwater estuaries serve as protective nurseries and nesting areas for fish, crustaceans and migratory shore and seabirds.Brackish and freshwater swamps and marshes are the domain of American Alligators and other reptiles.
The offshore waters are home to a rich plethora of sea life, including sea turtles, sharks, jellies, and giant shoals of smaller fish.
Generations of seamen, pirates, and naval engagements, have created a rich nautical history.Many still make their living from the ocean and surrounding waterways. Shrimp trawlers ply the ocean bottom, and fishermen in tiny john boats collect oysters, and set crab traps along the creeks and inlets.
The skeletons of the past, and evidence of nature's fury, can be found along the roadsides. In the small town of McClellanville, an old abandoned home is slowly reclaimed by nature, as well as the shell of a shrimp trawler that was left high and dry by Hurricane Hugo in 1989. Old but well maintained pick up trucks, cross causways out to barrier islands such as the "arrogantly shabby" Pawleys Island, and old trails meander behind sand dunes and along river banks.
Along narrow back roads, the remnants of rice plantations remind one of the former agricultural glory of the region, but also of the shame of slavery and human bondage. The latter, still uncomfortably and sometimes clumsily, being reckoned with. Descendants of these African slaves still weave traditional baskets, works of art really, from sweet grass. Though highly prized by collectors, the art form is becoming a dwindling tradition, as the younger people aren't interested in learning the craft, or go to college and find employment in other regions of the country.
Religion and myth comfortably coincide. On Sunday mornings, the pews are full of worshippers of all denominations finding comfort for the soul. Steamy, dark nights however, can be filled with thoughts of the ghost of Alice Flagg, a young Murrells Inlet girl who some say died of a broken heart when her family objected to her engagement to a man of a lower class. Locals still bring offerings to her grave at the All Saints Church in Pawleys Island, and reports still persist of sightings of Alice roaming the countryside, searching for her missing engagement ring.
French Huegenot's, fleeing religious persecution in France during the 17th and 18th century, settled in Charleston and became successful merchants. Their descendants still attend Charleston's Huguenot Church, and walk their children there on wedding days. Here and there Jewish mezuzah' are affixed to door frames, speaking to the Holy City's tradition of religious tolerance. In 1800, Charleston had the largest Jewish population in North America.
Sometimes words have little meaning when spoken.One has to venture out into the world, and on their own, find meaning. You have to engage and explore, abandon the beaten path, and peer into the darker corners. Only in this way, at times, do things come into focus.
Through this journey, I've found that heritage can not be defined by a flag. To believe so, is to ignore the grander scheme of things. Nature, geography and culture have over time woven a rich tapestry, much like the complicated patterns of a sweet grass basket. Taken together, a stronger picture of what heritage really is comes into view.
Finally, heritage can be described by great accomplishment, but only if accepting and embracing the mistakes made along the way.
Finally, heritage can be described by great accomplishment, but only if accepting and embracing the mistakes made along the way.
