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Wampum is a string of white shell beads traditionally produced by Native Americans in the northeastern region of the United States. It was used in gift exchanges, to seal agreements, and preserve oral traditions. Europeans introduced the concept of using it as currency, but it remained culturally important to Native Americans.
A wampum is a string of white shell beads. These beads were traditionally produced by Native Americans in the northeastern region of what is now known as the United States from molluscs such as the quahog clam and barn owl, and were of great cultural and ceremonial importance. Various examples of artifacts made from shell beads can be seen in American museums, works of art depicting early Americans, and in the private collections of various Native American tribes and communities.
There is some confusion about the meaning of the word “wampum”. The word is short for wampumpeag, an Algonquian word that literally means “string of white shell beads.” The most valuable dark purple pearls were known as sewant or sucksuahock, although today people often refer to them as wampum. This term also specifically refers to beads that have been strung, not loose shell beads. However, these definitions have become blurred over time, especially in the European community.
In Native American culture, shell bead strings were traditionally given during gift exchanges. People could seal treaties, elections, marriages, and other agreements with wampum, and the beads were also used as memory aids to aid storytellers and help tribes preserve oral traditions. A belt can contain a series of motifs that tell a story in pictures, triggering memories in tribesmen so they can recall events in tribal history.
When European settlers arrived in North America, the Native American community gave them wampum and other gifts. Europeans introduced the concept of using shell beads as money, which led to the misperception that shells were a form of currency among Native American tribes. In fact, it was mainly the Europeans who treated it as currency, with the natives embracing the trend and using wampum in trade with the Europeans. Europeans also built factories to make wampum, with the ability to produce large quantities of large beads for use in trade.
These tubular beads could be strung on simple cords, or more ornate belts, some of which were woven for strength. Various depictions of settlers settling in the Northeast include depictions of wampum belts presented by local Native Americans as a gesture of goodwill, or to seal treaties and agreements made with Europeans. Several Native American tribes in this region use stylized wampum drawings on their flags, referencing the cultural importance of wampum to their people.
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