Wampum: A Living Tradition

Abstract

This essay is the result of a collaborative effort between the Hodinöhsö:ni’ (or Haudenosaunee, “People of the Longhouse”), for a long time called Iroquois, and the Musée du quai Branly-Jacques Chirac. The history of the relationship between museums and Indigenous people has been fraught with misunderstanding and misconception. For Indigenous people, traditional knowledge is a lens through which an exhibit or even an object is seen. For some Indigenous nations, like the Hodinöhsö:ni’, the Knowledge Bearers rely on a strong, codified, unbroken tradition of transmitting traditional knowledge, core values, practices, and beliefs to the next generation. Because of this, the cultural core of the Hodinöhsö:ni’ people has remained intact over the centuries. Individuals among the Hodinöhsö:ni’ have emerged — both through traditional roles and through individual determination — who have a complete understanding of the Hodinöhsö:ni’ world view, traditional culture, and history. The addition of historical research, and the emergence of an interconnected community of research and study have bolstered the traditional oral history. When the blending of academic study with the older traditional messages occurs, the reader can begin to glimpse a future in which the sum of that knowledge benefits all.