Wampum is a traditional shell bead of the Eastern Woodlands tribes of Native Americans. It includes white shell beads hand-fashioned from the North Atlantic channeled whelk shell and white and purple beads made from the quahog or Western North Atlantic hard-shelled clam.

Nov 20, 2024 · 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...

Oct 5, 2017 · Purple Beads of Death Wampum was white or purple beads and discs fashioned from two shells: the white beads from the whelk, a sea snail with a spiral shape, and the quahog, a clam with purple and white coloring.

Wampum are beads made from various white and purple mollusk shells which were and are still used by various Native nations throughout northeastern North America for ornamental or ceremonial use. Contrary to misconceptions, wampum was not "indian money."

'What’s that purple stone?' WAMPUM is made from one of the hardest and most beautiful shells in the world: the Northern Quahog, a clam found along the New England coast. The white and purple layers of the shell create most beautiful patterns.

White wampum is the emblem of health, peace or purity. Purple and black wampum are color variants of the same bead, and were used for serious or civic affairs, sometimes indicating dis-ease , distress or hostility, at least in referring to the background colors in belt patterns.

Wampum is a vital part of Onondaga and Haudenosaunee culture. Wampum is created from the shell of a clam. The beads are cut from the white and purple parts of the shell.

Apr 14, 2022 · Wampum is made from two different types of shells. The white beads are made from the internal portion of the channeled whelk’s shell, while purple or black beads were made from the shell of the Quahog clam. The shells were cut down, drilled with a …

Sep 22, 2022 · Wampum is a traditional shell bead of the Native American tribes of the Eastern Woodlands. The beads are harvested from the shells of Western North Atlantic hard-shelled clams and are typically white and purple.

Oct 15, 2024 · Wampum beads hold a deeply significant place in Native American history and culture, particularly among the tribes of the Northeastern United States, such as the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) and the Algonquin peoples.