How A Native American Artisan Keeps The 4,500-Year-Old Practice Of Wampum Alive | For The Culture
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- Опубликовано: 29 июл 2024
- Wampum, a purple and white bead, comes from Native American culture in the southern New England area. Allen Hazard of the Narragansett tribe has been making wampum from quahogs, or hard-shell clams, for the past 40 years. He's knowledgeable in both traditional and modern ways of making wampum, and he sells his handmade wampum jewelry at The Purple Shell in Charlestown, Rhode Island.
Editor's note: An earlier version of this video contained an error that said wampum is a 45,000-year-old practice. It has since been corrected to say it is a 4,500-year-old practice.
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How A Native American Artisan Keeps The 4,500-Year-Old Practice Of Wampum Alive | For The Culture 
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I'm glad this gentleman is not only preserving the traditions, but also reclaiming the term "wampum" for what wampumpeg actually means, both as a term as well as the mental approach to it.
So how did his pretty beads compete with the English and Spanish guns?
@@itsallperspective7415 They weren't meant to compete. That's the point and add to the beauty of them. Guns and greed are what stains humanity and destroys all beauty and solemnity. Two things those primitive minds, who associate the most violent domination with the absolute form of power won't sadly ever understand.
@@Erizou90 okay well we're speaking in English not native American toung.
Sorry his beads are cool but they're nothing compared to Korean, Greek, or even Aztec art around the same time frame.
@@itsallperspective7415 日本語で話しても良いのよ oder auf Deutsch, o in italiano, the choice is yours. ;) The language we use doesn't matter as long we can communicate, especially when we speak about universal concepts, such as beauty, pacifism, violence, ignorance, distortion or humanity.
Again, the beads don't have to compete. Neither with guns, nor with any other culture. They are beautiful in themselves and made with a certain intention - that is all they need to be. And I appreciate the artist (and people from all over the world like him), who is reversing the distorted connotation of things they hold sacred, which other people forced into the mainstream notion, who chose to be ignorant and dismissive about them.
That's enough elaboration from my side. Have a good one!
SO THE TRADITION WAS TO HAVE A SHOP AND MASS PRODUCE BEADS TO SELL FOR PROFIT IN HIS STORE ?
I didn't know anyone still made wampumpeg; I'm glad the art hasn't been lost, and is still being passing on. This guy is immensely skilled. What really touched me, though, is he still uses the sandstone his son found for him.
Especially since he has used it for 40 years...he's 62, so his son must have been a small child at the time.
HE ONLY USES THE SANDSTONE IF HES TEACHING HOW THEY ARE SUPPOSE TO BE MADE, ANY OTHER TIME HES BLASTING THEM OUT ON HIS POWER TOOLS LOL SUPER TRADITIONAL LOL !!
@@psychoblack1411 I mean I'mma be honest here he's staying to tradition for most of it he's using power tools to an extent. But that is for cutting and sanding. For cutting it's a wet saw to get more detailed shapes which can only be made by snapping off parts of the shell which would take literally hours for a simple piece let alone anything complex. As for the sanding it's a tumbler it's not high tech technology, he put a few hundred beads in a bowl and shaking them around for a few hours rather than sanding his fingers down on sandstone. So considering how he was talking about money I think he did this to balance the cost for those buying the jewelery rather than, he didn't wanna stick to tradition. So I think this man has the perfect balance of tradition and modernization, and honestly think he is an amazing person for doing the work he's doing to keep a tradition alive in the modern world
I wanna see this man make a detailed tutorial series of how to make these, he's just the Bob Ross of jewelery. Happy throughout the whole video, just loving what he does and how he does it.
I like that he's found a modern way to do it that still preserves the unique artistry of each bead. I'm sure that dutch machine he mentioned made them factory style. Even when he uses power tools he still makes the beads individually.
but not in the spiritual way that they where originally made...he manufactures them for profit ....the antler was the thing that decided what they look like. he is no better than the colonizers for making profit from a native tradition.
@@psychoblack1411 He’s profiting off his tradition tho, that’s the difference. He didn’t take someone else’s tradition and make profit like the settlers did, he’s using what’s HIS.
@@ShanaLawson they where/are angry that the settlers used it and turned it into a currency yet now hes using it to trade as a currency for gold (aka what a bank note represents as a receipt to the fact you own some of the reserves gold)
@@psychoblack1411 You mean bartering, what people have been doing since the dawn of time? 😳 Shocker 🤦♀️ Settlers have/had no rights to produce it, that’s the problem.
@@ShanaLawson lol did you watch the video and listen to what he was accusing people of doing in the past, he was pissed that people turned his tradition INTO A PROFITABLE BUSINESS? he is doing what he is complaining about you daft sod ...i feel like im the only person in this world that sees irony when its smacking us in the face lol if he was making them THE TRADITIONAL WAY (without the use of power tools....like anyone could do with a little bit of training on how to use the tool) to put on his traditional native clothing as there ancestors did then ok ..BUT HES SELLING THEM !!!! HE SAID ORIGINALLY THEY WHERE NEVER FOR SELLING/USED AS A CURRENCY IN THE VIDEO WE ARE COMMENTING ON LOL
I love how he works to preserve not only the practice of making it, but the concept behind it. The meaning of simply putting in time and effort to make something special for someone you care about. It wasn't meant to be money, just a nice gift. Something with such pure and wholesome intentions turned into profit. I wish this mindset of making things for people was more common today.
You and me Both!!!!❤️🤍
So was RUclips.
I also think that artisans have just as much right to charge money for their labor, skill, handiwork, and materials as any other trade.
Yes, however the difference is whether the art is made to gift it to someone or with the intend to be sold.
As with many things, it is purely the intend that counts. Sadly, nowadays even children are being tought that eventually theri best effort isnt good enough as a gift anymore. Where a small childs colourful lines on paper are considered a sweet gift, as soon as we teach children that everything has to have a monetary value, selfmade gifts often get lost. Many times they turn unappreciated, as if not putting money into them or assingning a value to them devalues the intend to make something special.
same goes with many crafts.
Truly giftig something for the sake of gifting, to make someone happy, to give something special and meaningful is, sadly, slowly dieing. Most gifts are given because it is considered custom or tradition to do so, independantly of what it means. Many gifts today mean nothing. They are just given to comply with society.
@@tiyangina3571 It is truly frustrating when people make comments like this one. You feel a certain reverence for a time or culture you romanticize, where people 'gave gifts as a custom or tradition' then lament how today people just give them to 'comply with society.' You understand that doing something because it is a custom is doing something to comply with the society you inhabit, right? The difference today is that we live such comfortable lives of excess compared with before, that the very act of giving the gift feels more hollow. The desire to share what we have with others is still there, and very much real. It's the same traditions, but even the poorest among us are so much better off than anyone during the colonial period that we now feel that the act of giving gifts is just a commercial grift. It is not. We just all have a lot more crap and comfort than we did at any other period in history.
I love the line, 6:56 "As long as my lips move, I can tell someone what to do." Keeping the oral traditions are just as important.
I have some wampum personally gifted to me by Alan. He is an extremely kind person. I treasure it.
I had never heard of wampum before an any sense. Im glad I came across this video. Blessed be this gentleman, who is upholding his heritage!
"How dare they try to make money off Wampum" meanwhile at 6:36 "So heres my shop where I make money off of Wampum"
@@youwouldntclickalinkonyout6236 He was offended that they turned wampum INTO money.
@@youwouldntclickalinkonyout6236 this is the dumbest thing i've read here, did you even watch the video???
What an ingenious way of making gorgeous beads that’s a rich purple in its natural state. Truly a beautiful art.
Up until 5 seconds into this video I had no idea what Wampum was other than vague media references. Thank you for helping me understand the significance of this art.
Hearing his side of the story is sobering. Thank you my friend for being fearlessly transparent with your tradition.
lol
It would be absolutely huge if he could make guitar parts such as tuning keys and bridge saddles, or even piano keys!
Native American culture and technology doesn’t need to be static while everything else advances and evolves, to be valid.
@wolf v do you play guitar friend? I ask because I've had guitars with plastic tuning keys for years and had no problems. I don't think the shell is the problem in regard to wear. I do however think in terms of strength they might crack or snap when torque is applied but as for wear I think it would be fine. I also admit snapping or cracking can be considered "wear".
Now as for a bridge that would be cool or definitely would work as an inlay. I meant no disrespect towards you friend and readily admit that maybe I misunderstood what you meant, if I did please accept my apology in advance. If however I did not I stand by what I said that my concern would be them cracking or breaking from the torque. You have a good day friend and once again please allow my apologies if I misunderstood you.
@wolf v no, I'm a hobbyist when it comes to the guitar, not very proficient if truth be told lol. My apologies again friend wolf if it seemed if I was "attacking" your point or insulting you in some way that was not my intent. It's difficult to show intent when writing or texting and I hope you understood where I was coming from, however, if I wasn't clear that is 100% my fault friend. When you say "bend" or "use" what is meant? What little I do know how to play I taught myself and I think, only because maybe I've seen it, that "using" your bridge would be to hold the strings right at the bridge but if I'm honest I have no idea what "bending" is. Also from what it sounds like is, first you know way more about playing than I do lol and I was wrong about using shell in the bridge. It would certainly be to fragile. I was 100% honest though about the plastic tuning pegs, I've never had a problem with them but then maybe I don't play as much as some.
I wish to thank you in advance if you choose to answer this response, however, if you do not I completely understand, explaining things to a total stranger who possibly though accidentally may have insulted you is certainly not something that need be done but if you do know that it will be appreciated friend.
Something easy to maintain and replace seems to be the best option for something like an instrument, I'm a musician and I happen to be Navajo mixed with the world
@wolf v It could easily be used as inlays, to decorate tuning pegs, to be both the bridge and the bridge pegs, as well as a plectrum. Bone bridges are the most common bridges in the world and they're made of calcium, same as clam shells, and people tend to prefer bone bridges and bone bridge pegs for their apparent brighter tones. It's just more easily obtained from cow bone from what I can see after googling, but if it were more easily harvested from clam shells I'm sure they'd use it too.
@wolf v could you maybe use wampumpeg for the part your fingers touch, and then steel for the part the strings are wrapped on?
I received a pair of these earrings as a gift, but didn’t know the history behind it. Thanks for posting!
Not only Native American but every ancient civilization did this. It also exists in India too. I've seen sellers selling these crafted shells in beaches. But love to see Native Americans preserved it for so long like Indians.
Seems like all types of Indians likes shellcrafts.
@@ajarofmayonnaise3250 yes. Check it out bro. It's awesome. Its done in places like Tamil Nadu.
@@maxtyson9035 I come from Kerala, neighboring Tamil Nadu :-)
@@ajarofmayonnaise3250 do you know even bone carving is down in India.
In the end we are all human we see a pretty shell and want to wear it. Its very interesting to see how cultures from around the adorne themselves
What I love most about indigenous people is that they continue to survive, thrive and maintain some of their traditions despite others trying to change them. He does beautiful work.
Thank goodness for that. How heartbreaking it would be if all the old ways were lost.
This is beautiful. It's extremely important to not forget our roots and keep the dying artforms and culture alive.
In grade school i had a very influential teacher he was a native from Rode Island. Its been many years since ive seen him. But i still rember life lesson he taught us. Thank you Mr. Otoole!
To me, it seems as if he has found a balanced way to keep the tradition going, with the traditional knowledge, as well as a practical way by using modern tools. As for people nitpicking about him making a profit, I understood it as him being angry settler took something that was considered a valued gift ( 4:27 ) and made it into mere currency which was an insult for what wampumpeg meant as well as the tribes cultures. But we're now in the 21st century and most place around the world have adapted the use of money. So if he wants to keep the tradition alive and going and pass it of to apprentices, he's better of being able to make some profit for it.
thank God there are still people like this that are interested and willing to pass on their knowledge. excellent video
Omg 1:50 his finger is SOOO CLOSE to that blade. He obviously super confident in his abilities. Wow
It’s a diamond blade, no teeth, quite harmless.
Diamond lapidary blades are not sharp they're blunt with diamonds encrusted.
It cuts with abrasion.
You can only really cut yourself with these blades if it's a super thin one.
He's using one with a large kerf.(thickness of blade)
The algorithm is on point today, I really like this, keeping a tradition and passing it on is important.
Very nice to learn the correct thoughts behind the beads.
Those beads are so gorgeous
So wonderful to know this tradition in today's fast paced world. Beautiful workmanship.
We live in a society where people would look at the string of wompum and wonder why it’s so expensive and not look at the value that someone hand carved all of these
Him: we call it wampumpen. Settlers changed it.
Narrator: yep he makes wampun
I love this. It’s so incredibly important to keep these sacred and ancient traditions alive
Such beautiful artistry, and such a talented person!!
Gorgeous craft. His hat belt is so beautiful!
It was a pleasure meeting you this weekend Alan, and I hope to treasure my Wampum earrings for a very long time!
What a wonderful tradition to keep, I'm sorry to here we Dutch did that. Hoop we all one day are open to learn each other's traditions old and new
History is written by the winners.
@@itsallperspective7415 didn't realize colonization and genocide was a game to you
@@norinajimeno9377 neither did I knew that human sacrifices was normal because it didn't rain for natives.
@@norinajimeno9377 we are both holding glass computers in our hands and communicating a world apart.
History is written by the winners. The native Americans made pretty beads while the Europeans had guns and boats. One culture was more advance and expanded.
I'm not going to feel bad for somthing that happens hundreds of years ago.
@@itsallperspective7415 nah but I'm not gonna reduce the attrocities made by one group and call them winners, implying that the pain and suffering of the other group of people should be reduced to "losing"
Love how he is using a dog bowl for water when he drilled it
Allen is such a kind man! Thank you for sharing your history and tradition with us.
Incredibly charming man and interesting piece of history he helps to preserve.
Forget watching the doc, im about to drive down and visit that adorable little shop
Crazy how the comments are so negative. Like the guy loves what he does and he just adapted to modern society and demands. Most of you all would praise him if he was anything but Native
What comments? All I see are positive ones.
@@vjhreeves Well dig deeper, there was a lot when I posted my comments
Thanks for sharing his story and work on keeping this tradition going. Looks beautiful 🌻
Honestly I kind of find his objection at wampumpeg being treated as money instead of a treasured gift really endearing.
What makes calcium seashells toxic?
Is it silicosis-related or is it something else?
The dust building up in the lungs makes it toxic. Just like bakers can get toxic build up of flour in their lungs.
Fantastic, very well done. Thank you.
I live in wampum, never knew what it meant I just knew it was an old native word like tons of the areas around me are named after.
So beautiful! I love collecting the purple pieces at the beach and craft with those💖
This is really underrated 💙 dude 40 year stone ! 🥺 father love.
This is fascinating to watch. My friend was taking a Native American studies course and we often talked about what she would learn. This was one of the topics, so I love seeing the process. Beautiful.
QUA hog always makes me laugh.
Wampum belts often represented treaties. Can you imagine the disconnect when the settlers show up with text on paper, and the locals bring their version?
Thank you so much for your knowledge, skill and dedication. I learned something new today!
The stone he's had for 40 years from his son... Amazing!!!
Wampumpeg is beautiful. I do have Native American blood in me. I would love to learn more about my heritage. Unfortunately I do not know which tribe my family is from that information is long lost. It on my grandfather side because none of my grandmother family (mom) have native blood in them.
It bothers me that the narrator continues to call them "wampum" when the man clearly told them the proper pronunciation of "wampumpeg". This narration further takes away from the indigenous language. Though it may not be a significant matter, it still matters.
It's not that serious lmao
@@ImARealHumanPerson Clearly it is important enough for the man telling being interviewed to tell them what the proper pronunciation is. I even said "it may not be a significant matter, but it sill matters."
His business Facebook page calls it wampum. So that's something.
It's like the difference between Milwaukee, WI and the native word Millioke. In the US English it's called Milwaukee and we're far too removed to go back to Millioke.
@@killaken2000 I understand that, and I don't blame him for simply naming it Wampum on Facebook. If it's been adopted to be said that way in a general sense, he can only help to educate, which is what he's done in the video by bringing up the proper pronunciation.
My only critique was just the narration could have just said it the way he told them it was pronounced.
@@XCTJackal sorry history is written by the winners and his ancestors lost. So the Spanish English and French wrote their history and simplified their words.
Not saying it's right but it has happend all over the globe to every race and ethnicity for centuries.
Thank you. What a wonderful documentary. ❤
It would be nice to see the boundaries of their original territories rather than the colonial state boundaries
It's good keeping culture alive...
Beautiful
0:24 it's forty-five hundred years actually....
New scientific nobel prize winning work
@@lucasterling thanks man
That's what I just commented as well lol
Did she say 45,000?
This is very interesting I love beads of all variety.
Beautiful art made from a sacred living being through the hands of a master artisan, with a value set that embraces a greater connection to all life. 🐚 🌎
*Fascinating History*
Beautiful work
Wow. I remember my elementary school mascot was the warriors, the mascot was a typical native with the feather headdress image, they had us sit "indian style" on the ground in PE class. I remember in kindergarten at least we were given "wampum" paper money to go buy things in a little store in the school. Sheesh who comes up with this stuff screwing up and erasing the history. Thank you so much for sharing this with us and keeping this art alive. Beautiful
Awesome
Beautiful work!🐝❤️🤗
Love wampum!!
I like this guy. Respect man.
Much respect to Mr Hazzard for keeping the craft alive, but I gotta admit; watching him get his fingers _that_ close to both the wet tile-saw & dremel, the way he does in the video, I got real nervous & sweaty...
Can we get the full footage of how he made them traditionally?
I live near a town called wampum. Interesting
I have genuine Iroquois wampum that are from the 1600's. They and all other natives of the new world were far more advanced than many believe. NEVER forget that settlers were encouraged to slaughter all the buffalo to starve the natives to death, and they were "assimilated" into society via abduction, and abuse... Being treated like that is the reason they still have tons of můrders and drug problems that nobody seems to cover or help them with. If we can give single mothers in the USA who dont work and continue popping out children for extra money from the govt, we can assist the natives more. They deserve it. Ancestors are always looking upon us dont forget...
Beautiful!
Beautiful.
Wonderful, thankyou for keeping this alive ❤
4:20 raw copper from michigan's upper peninsula was used by multiple tribes for tools well before contact, and was still being used for making piercing awls by the time of contact.
I’ve never seen these before , very beautiful
He has really given his heart and soul to respect the tradition which is somthing i respect so much.
Becouse native americans are losing their traditions, where i’m frome its starting that path and if i can i won’t follow this river.
Visca Catalunya lliure!!!
As you can tell, plenty of that dust still goes airborne with a wetsaw. As it always does.
Interesting and beautiful work
I SURELY INJOYED
beautiful
This was a great story
This is so beautiful ❤️ thank you!
Great video!
I hope his creations was seen on this years met gala bc the theme kinda relate to what he do
Wooow....very interesting.... 👍👍👍👍👍
you are AWESOME.
Is the word wampumpeg singular or plural or both?
Plural sir, the -eg denotes plurality.
Nice
beautiful tradition... 😁👍🏽👍🏽
Thank you.
we in alaska still use them :D
"How can anything that is a living...be labled as money?"
Such a powerful question that is still an issue today
We'll miss you alll ❤
Love ur motto♥
KEEP SMILING😁
The concept had become so confused I thought wampum were little stone beads From the south western tribes. Thanks for the clarification.
Heshi?
I’ve never heard of wampum before. Fascinating.
I would never have thought the shell dust was toxic! 😮
It's just that we can never let any types of dust particles to enter our lungs.
Excellent vid,best i've seen on Wampum,though i wish you would have explained more about the shaping of the bead. Since you've invested in a diamond saw,tumblers try more Lapidary tools,stone shaper or grinder,u won't be sorry!
imagine drilling through hundreds of them manually back in the early days with only a makeshift bit from a traded needle.
In the South West, before we had traded needles, they say we used to use a cactus needle and sand as abrasive to make the holes in turquoise and shell.
00:01 - quahog is pronounced “ko-hog”
Clearly someone never watched Family Guy
@@cleverusername9369
Or is a New Englander.
Got to love 21st century technology
Ya'ta'hay brother, ya'ta'hay!
Such beautiful art!
3:10 Does anyone know what music is playing here?