Wampum is not money, as myth would have us believe. It was and is, much more valuable and important than that. Wampum is a belt woven of laboriously crafted shell beads that records and solemnifies relationships and promises made between parties in treaty councils. Other wampum belts are sacred records of a community’s history or a chief’s personal story.
To learn more about wampum, its history, how it is made, and its significance, watch the short (3-5-minute) videos below: