Wampum: A Living Record
How wampum is made and how the Haudenosaunee use it to keep agreements, titles, and history. This excerpt uses the first part of the Wampum page, written in the Nation’s own voice. It leaves out the last part of the last paragraph, the story of how wampum belts were sold and returned, and the descriptions of individual belts.
This page is a simplified version of the original text (leveled toward 800L). Photos, maps, and other images are not on this page — use the original link above to see them.
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Wampum is a vital part of Onondaga and Haudenosaunee culture. Wampum is made from the shell of a clam. The beads are cut from the white and purple parts of the shell. The pieces are rounded, sanded, and drilled to make a bead. It takes a lot of effort to make a bead, so wampum is highly valued.
The shell is thought of as a living record of the Haudenosaunee. The speaker puts the words of the agreement into the wampum as the strings or belts are woven together. Each speaker after that uses the wampum to remember the first agreement and the history that has happened so far. To us, the belts are our living history.
Wampum has many uses. One use is to invite the other nations to council meetings. These wampum strings carry the topic that all of the nations are to meet and talk about. At the end of the wampum string is a wooden stick. The stick tells the people of the nation when the meeting will take place. As each day passes, a notch is cut off the stick. When all the notches are gone, the meeting will take place.
Wampum also stands for titles within the Haudenosaunee. Each Clan Mother and each Chief has their own wampum string. When a person holds this title for the Nation, they carry the wampum to show their place in the community. When a leader falls, the wampum is passed on to the new leader.
When a person holds a string of wampum in their hand, they are said to be speaking truthfully. During ceremonies, wampum strings are used to show that the speaker’s words are true. People listening to a speaker who holds the wampum also know this. They are very attentive and respectful of the speaker’s message.
Onondaga was given the responsibility of Wampum Keeper of the Haudenosaunee at the founding of the Great Peace. For countless centuries the Onondaga have been given the responsibility of being the caretaker of the belts.