Modern Wampum Belts

The definition of “modern” usually equates with the 20th century to the present, and includes wampum belts made with a wide variety of materials. Beads may be shell, glass, plastic, clay, etc.; weaving materials may include leather, dogbane, artificial sinew, cotton thread, etc. Shell beads in these belts are drilled and polished with modern tools rather than with a bow drill and sandstone. The weaving patterns in modern belts tend to be much simpler than the patterns seen in traditional and colonial-era wampum belts.

In living Indigenous traditions, the category of “traditional” may also be applied to “modern” wampum belts that are composed of modern materials (glass or plastic beads, artificial sinew, etc.), but are being used for traditional purposes. So, if Native nations choose to make and use “replicas” for sacred and ceremonial purposes, those wampum belts may be considered both “traditional” and “authentic,” regardless of the materials used.

Modern wampum belts may also be constructed using new designs and new materials that do not resemble older belts, or that are not inspired by older belts and designs. These may or may not be used in traditional ways.