Georgia’s barrier islands, the first line of defense for the state’s coastal ecosystem, have been dramatically altered over the centuries. These ongoing shifts driven by nature and nurture illuminate the intricate, multi-dimensional, layered reality of the connection between the islands and their people. New research by Jacob Holland-Lulewicz, an Assistant Professor of Anthropology at Penn State, reveals a much more interesting reality. Discarded oyster shells from Indigenous peoples have even more profoundly shaped and protected these islands.
The barrier islands – home to notable places like Sapelo Island – that stretch from South Carolina into Georgia. Over the years, these islands have changed shape and number, influenced by natural events like hurricanes and the actions of their past inhabitants. Most recently, Hurricane Irma made landfall in 2018, cleaving the barrier island in half and creating two separate landmasses, further reshaping this unique environment.
Indigenous Management of Barrier Islands
For nearly 5,000 years, Indigenous peoples, particularly the ancestors of the Muskogee Creek Nation, actively managed the Georgia barrier islands. Today, this stewardship has fostered remarkable ecological diversity that is still evident today. The Indigenous peoples planted as many as 1.6 billion oysters on these islands, building landforms that were essential to their survival.
Recent research found that at one site on Sapelo Island, the remnant oyster shells made up nearly 11% of this landform. This major investment underlines the point that these shells are not waste, but a valuable resource. Their contributions to the island’s ecosystem are immense. Brandon Ritchison, who led excavations looking across Sapelo Island, discovered more than 1,000 holes that used to be the foundations of Indigenous towns. These discoveries paint a picture of how profoundly human activity has impacted the islands over thousands of years.
“The reason these places are so well-preserved and outstanding examples of what a landscape could look like when humans don’t ruin it is actually the result of thousands of years of Indigenous people actively managing these places.” – Jacob Holland-Lulewicz
Research Findings and Implications
Holland-Lulewicz and his teammates synthesized datasets that they’d independently gathered over the last 15-20 years. Their aim was to increase knowledge about the ways that Indigenous practices and philosophies can address today’s ecological crises. Their study sheds light on the efficacy of traditional management practices employed by Indigenous peoples. These approaches can inform today’s conservation work as we face the challenge of climate change.
The difficulty in translating their findings into real-world application is a growing challenge for researchers like Holland-Lulewicz. He expressed concern about effectively communicating their insights to broader ecological communities:
“How do we express this to our colleagues in ecology who are working on conservation and climate change?”
This question points to an uncomfortable truth in research arenas. Environmental professionals and historians alike hope to bridge the gap between past knowledge and present practice. Beyond the human cost, this research aims to lay bare the historical record. Beyond this, it provides targeted, implementable strategies for improving the effectiveness of existing and current conservation efforts.
The Future of Georgia’s Barrier Islands
Scientists are beginning to understand what Indigenous stewardship can teach us about Georgia’s barrier islands. There is an urgent call for anthropologists and ecologists to collaborate in addressing this calamitous trend. The long-term outcome would be more sustainable practices that honor both the historical context and contemporary environmental requirements.
Holland-Lulewicz is particularly passionate about using inclusive language that connects with all communities. He believes that by tailoring their communication strategies, researchers can make their findings more relevant and usable for those involved in conservation efforts.
“It’s hard to translate our findings into actionable, applied practice, which is one reason we’re trying to talk to broader communities—maybe if we use their language to describe our results, then this will be more useful and usable by these other parties.” – Jacob Holland-Lulewicz
Georgia’s barrier islands are dynamic places. This transformation illustrates the beautiful interplay between nature and human development. As climate change poses new challenges to coastal ecosystems, acknowledging and integrating Indigenous knowledge and management practices will be essential for future conservation efforts.