Full Answer
What was the Wampum Belt used for?
Sutherland - AncientPages.com - Wampum belts existed long before the European contact with the Native Americans and were used as the official tribal records, to keep historical records, to commemorate important events such as festivals or served as public records of treaties. On one such wampum belt recorded the so-called 'Great Law of Peace', ...
Where is the oldest Wampum belt?
It was offered and accepted in 1638, and is presently stored in the Vatican.
How many beads are in a Wampum belt?
Wampum belt, with a white ground, and two parallel zig-zag lines of purple wampum, three beads in width. Most of the length of the belt is 16 beads wide; however at one end, 12 beads in from the end, the number of skin warps is reduced from 17 to 15. Image credit: British Museum.
Why were the belts important to the Indians?
The belts were also valuable for communications, and as articles of exchange in form of gifts, jewelry and trade goods. Later, English and Dutch settlers began to manufacture wampum of glass beads from Europe in order to trade with the Indians ...
What is a Wampum?
Wampum (from ‘wampumpeag’, in Algonquian, means "white strings of shell beads) were made of countless beads of white and purple seashells. This one (above) has a medicine bag attached in the form of a tortoise – the animal, which was believed to support the world.
Who used wampum beads?
The eastern Algonquians who lived along the coast of New England and neighboring Iroquois Indian tribe used wampum for ceremonial purposes. However, it is supposed the Iroquois were the first who started to manufacture the valuable beads for wampum.
Who were the Keepers of the Wampum?
Keepers of the Wampum were respected tribal dignitaries who stored historic strings and belts in special wooden boxes. At the great festivals, ceremonies and annual tribal meetings, the belts were brought out and stories associated with them were recited to the people who could acquaint themselves with the tribe’s history and traditions.
Why were wampum belts used?
Wampum belts and strings of wampum were developed by First Peoples to assist community members and Nations in recalling and recording events (Johansen & Mann, 2000; Muller, 2007). The information embedded in the belts and strings – carefully selected symbols, patterns, letters, and images – also enabled Indigenous Peoples to relay complex messages, intention, and promise through the giving and acceptance of wampum. Wampum could act as a pledge during marriage ceremonies, or be given as a token of respect across council fires or in times of mourning. Wampum belts were traditionally worn across the body like a sash, and could, if the creator wanted, carry two meanings: one on the front and one on the back (CRFN, 2015; Johansen & Mann, 2000; Muller, 2007; Peskotomuhkati Nation, 2018).
What is a Wampum belt?
Revisiting the wampum on a regular basis was meant to remind participants of their presence and keep alive the purpose and significance of their meaning. In this sense, wampum belts, when given for an event or to commemorate an agreement, acted as a covenant, in much the same way that legally binding contracts did for Euro-Canadians (CRFN, 2015).
What is a Wampum wrist ornament?
It was not uncommon to see belts or jewellery made of wampum or clothing trimmed with wampum beads. Sometimes wampum beads would be embedded into war clubs (Chippewas of Rama First Nation, 2015).
What are wampum beads made of?
Wampum belts consist of carefully placed strings of knotted wampum beads, which are made from quahog clam, whelk, or cowrie shells (Muller, 2007; Windatt, 2016a). You can see images of these shells and the beads in the gallery below. Whelk and cowrie shells produce the signature white wampum beads; quahog clam shells are used to create the beautiful and vibrant purple wampum beads. The beads are carefully drilled through the centre and strung on threads of bark or deer sinew. Wampum beads are sacred to Indigenous Peoples, and the process of knotting wampum beads in string or belt form is considered spiritual and done with meaning (Johansen & Mann, 2000).
Why was the Two Row Wampum created?
The Two Row Wampum is commonly believed to have been created in 1613 to enshrine the agreement between the Dutch and the Haudenosaunee to live in mutual peace, friendship, and respect on Turtle Island. The two nations were never to interfere with the business of the other.
What shells are used to make wampum beads?
Whelk and cowrie shells produce the signature white wampum beads; quahog clam shells are used to create the beautiful and vibrant purple wampum beads. The beads are carefully drilled through the centre and strung on threads of bark or deer sinew.
Why do nations at peace attach wampum belts to canoes?
Similarly, Nations at peace would attach a wampum belt to their canoe when travelling through another Nation’s territory, outlining and reminding them of a specific peace agreement. All who read the wampum would recognize the meaning and allow the visitors safe passage under the wampum covenant (Chippewas of Rama First Nation, 2015).
Who made the Wampum belt?
The belts were made by Lydia Chavez (Unkechaug/Blood) and made with beads manufactured on the Unkechaug Indian Nation Territory on Long Island, New York. In 2017, a wampum belt purchased by Frank Speck in 1913 was returned to Kanesatake, where it is used in cultural and political events.
How are wampum beads made?
Women artisans traditionally made wampum beads by rounding small pieces of whelk shells, then piercing them with a hole before string ing them. Wooden pump drills with quartz drill bits and steatite weights were used to drill the shells.
What is a whelk wampum?
Wampum Georgina Ontario. Wampum is a traditional shell bead of the Eastern Woodlands tribes of Native Americans. It includes white shell beads hand fashioned from the North Atlantic channeled whelk shell and white and purple beads made from ...
What is a Wampum?
Wampum. For the borough in Western Pennsylvania, see Wampum, Pennsylvania. Wampum is a traditional shell bead of the Eastern Woodlands tribes of Native Americans. It includes white shell beads hand fashioned from the North Atlantic channeled whelk shell and white and purple beads made from the quahog or Western North Atlantic hard-shelled clam.
What is a Wampum string?
Wampum strings may be presented as a formal affirmation of cooperation or friendship between groups, or as an invitation to a meeting. The Iroquois used wampum as a person's credentials or a certificate of authority.
Why was the Wampum important to the Iroquois?
Just as the wampum enabled the continuation of names and the histories of persons, the wampum was central to establishing and renewing peace between clans and families. When a man representing his respective social unit met another, he would offer one wampum inscribed with mnemonic symbols representing the purpose of the meeting or message. The wampum, thus, facilitated the most essential practices in holding the Iroquois society together.
When were wampum beads discovered?
In New York, wampum beads have been discovered dating before 1510. The introduction of European metal tools revolutionized the production of wampum; by the mid-seventeenth century, production numbered in the tens of millions of beads.
What is the longest Wampum belt?
The longest wampum belt is the 1794 Canandaigua Treaty belt. This belt is 6 feet long and composed of thirteen figures holding hands connected to two figures and a house. The 13 figures…
When did the Wampum belts return to Onondaga?
But the Onondaga Nation worked diligently to have the wampum return home. Finally in the fall of 1989, some belts returned after the determined efforts of the chiefs to bring these belts back to the people. Read Chief Irving Powless Jr.’s account of The Day that 12 Wampum Belts Returned to Onondaga.
What is the name of the national belt of the Haudenosaunee?
Hiawatha Belt. This belt is a national belt of the Haudenosaunee. The belt is named after Hiawatha, the Peacemaker’s helper. In this belt, it records when 5 nations; the Seneca, Cayuga, Onondaga, Oneida, and Mohawk…. Learn More.
What is the circle of wampum?
The circle wampum is a very important belt for the Haudenosaunee. The equal strands of wampum represent the 50 chiefs. Each chief being equal and united. The one longer strand …
What does it mean when a string of wampum is held in a person's hand?
When a string of wampum that is held in a person’s hand, they are said to be speaking truthfully. During ceremonies, the wampum strings are used to convey that the speaker’s words are true. People listening to a speaker holding the wampum also know this and are very attentive and respectful of the speaker’s message.
What does the wooden stick mean in the Haudenosaunee?
The wooden stick tells the people of the nation when the meeting is to take place. As each day passes, a notch is cut off the stick and when the notches are all gone, the meeting will take place. Wampum also symbolizes titles within the Haudenosaunee. Each position of a Clan Mother of a Chief has their own wampum string.
What is the purpose of wampum strings?
Wampum has many uses. One of the uses is to invite the other nations to council meetings. These wampum strings are given the topic that all of the nations are to meet and discuss about. At the end of the wampum string is a wooden stick. The wooden stick tells the people of the nation when the meeting is to take place.
What is the meaning of the circle wampum?
Circle Wampum. The circle wampum is a very important belt for the Haudenosaunee. The equal strands of wampum represent the 50 chiefs. Each chief being equal and united. The one longer strand represents the people. When we are born our heart is in the middle of the circle. As we grow, the chiefs and the people work to keep the circle strong.
What are the chiefs holding hands in the circle?
As we grow, the chiefs and the people work to keep the circle strong. The chiefs are said to be holding hands creating a large circle. Inside of the circle our the ways of the Haudenosaunee. The language, ceremonies, culture and the way of life of our people.
