Two Row Wampum in the News

Wampum belts, when they include both purple and white shells, are crafted with designs that convey particular messages. Sometimes these patterns are unique; other times they are recognizable designs related to common relationship metaphors that recur throughout wampum’s history. One such pattern is the two row design.

Rick Monture and a Two Row replica belt.

But while many two row belts have existed, the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) revere a long-standing tradition–the Kaswentha–and its associated belt, the Two Row Wampum. The belt signifies the agreement of the Iroquois and Euro-Americans to travel parallel but non-interfering paths of friendship. Many native people and some scholars date the origins of this tradition to 1613 while others believe the evidence is stronger for a later date.

In either case, the tradition remains an important one, and the Iroquois people celebrate this tradition and appeal to the long-standing agreement as a basis for their sovereign rights in their traditional homelands.

As noted here, the Six Nations are hosting a Two Row commemoration event this summer.