Wampum (originally wampumpeag) is a bead that certain indigenous populations in New England made from shells. These beads had profound significance in indigenous cultures, bestowing wealth and prestige. Once European colonizers arrived, wampum was used as currency in trade. However, over time, it lost value within colonial society and was eventually abandoned as a currency.
Get the entire Changes in the Land LitChart as a printable PDF.
Wampum Term Timeline in Changes in the Land
The timeline below shows where the term Wampum appears in Changes in the Land. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 5: Commodities of the Hunt
...fur trade, but it wasn’t the ideal entity for this task. A better contender was wampumpeag, shell beads that are today known as wampum.
(full context)
Wampum was a sign of wealth and power and was usually exchanged during important rituals such...
(full context)
...the hunt to eat. Some villages attempted to stockpile shellfish in order to make more wampum. There was an overall increase in both intertribal conflict and battles between indigenous people and...
(full context)
...people relied on the markets from which they were now excluded. With fur gone and wampum useless, the only “commodity” Native people could trade was their land. Indigenous community’s loss of...
(full context)
