History·22 March 2026·4 min read
Wampum — the shell money of America
Beads crafted from shells bound Native American tribes through trade, treaties and memory.
Wampum were beads made from shells, strung into belts, used by the Native peoples of northeastern America. They served as money, but also as documents: a belt could "record" a treaty.
Money and memory
European colonists also used wampum as money for a time. Like cowrie shells, it's further proof that money can take any form people trust — and can carry meaning, not just value.
