What Is Wampum—and How Was It Used?
For thousands of years, Indigenous people of America’s northeast region have crafted small, cylindrical beads called wampum from purple and white whelk and clam shells. Often woven into beautifully patterned belts, strings, necklaces or other adornments, using plant fiber or animal sinew, wampum served a multitude of purposes. It could serve as a visual memory […]
