Wampum Heart Pendant

Heart 1.5 inches made from polished wampum. Available on Gold or Silver tone chains. 

Otgó’ä•’ Wampum

Wampum is a vital part of Haudenosaunee culture. Wampum is created 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. Because of the effort that is needed to make a bead, wampum is highly valued.

History of Wampum:

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 thereafter uses the wampum to remember the initial agreement and the history that has happened to date. To us, the belts are our living history.

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. 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. 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.