The Gullah Tradition of Batau Building

Passing traditional skills down through the generations is an important way of not only maintaining ancestrial connections, but it also enables the skill to be a significant part of the families cultural legacy. Making a batau, the traditional boats that were used by Gullah fishermen, is a time honored skill that is seldom practiced anymore. This specialized handmade boat building talent, which has been shared from father to son for centuries in West Africa, continues along the sea islands in the Gullah Geechee communities, but only a few craftsmen are left today. Listen in as one of our treasured edlers speaks about this important element of culture.