The story and history of the Wampum is interesting, almost as much as the title of this blog. The original wampum belts still exist and are now held by
the Chiefs at Onondaga, New York and Six
Nations of the Grand River . The unique belts are
are beyond interesting as a visual piece of history. Wampum was much respected
by the Iroquois and the Eastern Algonquians. It was made of white and purple
quahog or conch shells.
Wampum beads were strung into belts and strings. The
Iroquois thought great importance to the power of the individually built beads.
Strings of wampum were used to sanction council proceedings, to vouch for the
integrity of a speaker, to give responsibility to an office, to celebrate a
treaty, or to lessen sorrow. Messages of particular importance were also made
into strings and sent by a runner among the Six Nations Iroquois. The
Onondagas, traditional Keepers of the Council Fire, were also Keepers of the
League wampum’s. After the American Revolution, wampum took on a new meaning
with the founding of the teachings of Handsome Lake
I also read that some of these belts are held at the New York State
The belt is the sacred agreement between the Six Nations and
the original Thirteen Colonies (U.S.). It is the record of a Treaty with George
Washington in 1789. The house in the center is the Longhouse of the Six
Nations. The two figures on each side of the Longhouse are the Mohawks, the
Keepers of the Eastern Door of the Confederacy, and the Seneca’s, the Keepers
of the Western Door of the Confederacy. They have joined their hands in friendship,
a covenant with the Thirteen Colonies. This is a part of history that doesn’t sound
so drab and depressing. Although, obviously this friendship did not last too
much longer.
Great law wampum belt reproductions. (n.d.). Retrieved June
21, 2016, from http://www.jakethomaslearningcentre.ca/wampum.html
Thanks for bringing up an online resource that discussed wampum belts! In celebration of National Native American Heritage Month, on November 16th of last year, the agency I work for, the United States Army Corps of Engineers Buffalo District, was pleased to host a presentation by Mr. Richard D. Hamill, Professor Emeritus Geology, Monroe Community College on the history and cultural significance of wampum (I actually received a small strand as a souvenir that I have at my desk). Professor Hamell has reproduced over 100 different wampum belts; all which can be seen on his website www.wampumbear.com. The web site is separated into sections: Wampum Belt Production, Wampum Store, The Wampum Library, Wampum Belt Archives, Native American Events, and Photograph Gallery.
ReplyDeleteThe presentation itself was very educational, and Professor Hamill explained the process he used to re-create these items, as well as the symbols, materials and stories of each one he presented.
If you go to his website referenced above, you will be welcomed into the Bear's Den, and the World of Wampum. It’s an online exhibition of traditional, non-traditional wampum belts and other wampum objects. The wampum belts displayed are reproductions of original wampum belts which were that made by various Native American cultures.
Unfortunately, due to copyright laws, I cannot attach any pictures of his work, but they are available at the website above.
That's awesome! Off of what kind of belt did you get a strand? Im very much looking forward to checking these out in person some day, now that I know what they are for. I will definitely check out that website above, its the detailed important things like these belts that really interest me.
ReplyDeleteIt’s a standalone single strand of 20 white oblong beads, with tan tie offs. Included with it is a “Edge of the Woods Greeting”:
DeleteWe give you this string of wampum to clear up your eyes.
We give you this string of wampum so your mind will only have good thoughts.
And we give you this string so you will speak the truth and carry a good heart.
For the life of me I wanted to include a pic in this reply, but I can’t figure out how to do it!
That is amazing! How wonderful to now understand the true significance of these native treasures.
ReplyDeleteI was able to go the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian yesterday.
I am sorry I didn't read your post before I went, as there is indeed wampum belts displayed there.
As I am computer challenged I will post some pictures in a separate post!
As we are learning more about the perspective in which we learned what we know I find myself questioning everything. My new though is, if the Smithsonian is the curator of this exhibit and museum, do they portray the US differently when explaining the culture and art displayed?
That would be great if you can post those pictures, Its definitely an interesting topic to me
ReplyDeleteHello D and Stephen,
ReplyDeleteA very nice pair of website finds, thank you both. Curious to delve more deeply into the meaning and significance of wampum and wampum belts, I found a well-cited reprint of Lois Scozzari’s article on the subject in D’s linked Wampum Bear website. I had learned previously that wampum was a form of money as well as used for ceremonial purposes. But in reading Scozzari’s article, the extreme versatility of wampum cannot be understated. It was also used in jewelry and clothing. If a man’s gifts of wampum were accepted by his beloved, they were engaged. It was given as a gift, much like gold and silver function for whites, as one missionary observed. Awards for winning sports competitions were made of wampum. Wampum was worn in battle as a reminder to warriors of their family and property at stake. Wampum was ceremonially used for not only religious occasions, but in the forging of treaties and other diplomatic agreements and occasions. Wampum was traded far and wide as well: Northeast-made wampum products reached Plains Indians, while copper products from the Plains have been found in Algonquian graves. Wampum was also used as a means of pictographic record-keeping and communication, not dissimilar to the use of winter counts among Plains Indians.
Works Cited
Scozzari, Lois. “The Significance of Wampum to Seventeenth Century Indians in New England.” The Wampum Library. WampumBear.com. Web. 7 July 2016. .
Stephen,
ReplyDeleteInteresting post. I think it is amazing how these pieces of history are still around today and we have the pleasure of viewing! Just looking at the picture of the belt you can see so much history, craftsmanship and love that was put into it. I cant imagine how it looks in person. Although I wonder if any pictogrpahs are displayed in museums anywhere, I think I would be really interested in seeing those and how the different tribes told their stories. The Lakota tribe used detailed pictographs on animal skins called Winter Counts to record their history (Treuer p.117). Lakota actually customarily referenced the first measurable snowfall as the dating point for Winter Counts (Treuer p.117).