Overview
This lecture discusses the creation, significance, and cultural meaning of wampum beads and belts among the Haudenosaunee, including their use in treaties and storytelling.
Making Wampum Beads
- Indigenous people made beads from white and purple quahog shells through carving and hollowing with a bow drill.
- These beads, called wampum, were crafted through a difficult and time-consuming process.
Purpose and Symbolism of Wampum Belts
- Wampum beads were woven into belts to represent treaties, meetings, and historical stories.
- Wampum belts were not worn as clothing but used as records and symbols of agreements.
The Hiawatha Belt
- The Hiawatha Belt is the most famous wampum belt, symbolizing the unification of five original Haudenosaunee nations.
- The nations represented are Seneca, Cayuga, Onondaga, Oneida, and Mohawk, from west to east across New York.
- The central tree on the belt represents both the Onondaga and the Great Tree of Peace, where leaders buried their weapons.
The Two-Row Wampum Belt
- The Two-Row Belt depicts two parallel lines symbolizing two boats: one for the Haudenosaunee and one for the Dutch.
- This belt represents a 1600s treaty to live side by side peacefully, with each group following its own path.
Wampum and European Contact
- Europeans, including the Dutch, traded easier-to-make glass beads with the Haudenosaunee.
- Europeans used "wampum" to describe any bead, but to the Haudenosaunee, wampum had specific cultural meaning and was not used as money or trade items.
Key Terms & Definitions
- Wampum — Beads made from quahog shells, symbolizing treaties and stories, not used for trade by the Haudenosaunee.
- Haudenosaunee — Confederation of six Native nations; the lecture discusses the original five.
- Hiawatha Belt — Wampum belt representing the unity of the five Haudenosaunee nations.
- Two-Row Belt — Wampum belt symbolizing a peace treaty between the Haudenosaunee and the Dutch.
- Great Tree of Peace — Symbol of unity and peace where leaders buried weapons.
Action Items / Next Steps
- Review the symbolism in the Hiawatha and Two-Row belts for understanding treaty representation.
- Study the differences between Haudenosaunee and European views on wampum.