Indigenous Histories: Hartman Deetz discusses the Importance of Wampum Belts
Discover how wampum belts record history, law and identity. Hear from Hartman Deetz on how these living documents are made and why they still matter today.
Wampum belts are significant documents within the Indigenous communities of the Northeastern Woodlands of what is today called America. Woven with carefully crafted quahog shell beads in alternating colours of purple and white, the patterns and designs of wampum belts record histories, key events, law, and agreements. In this video Hartman Deetz (Mashpee Wampanoag) explains the significance and making of these important living documents.
This video was completed as part of the Teaching Indigenous Histories and Perspectives in Schools Project (TIHPS). Led by Professor Caroline Pennock, this project brings together teachers, Indigenous and First Nations partners, and UK-based academics to offer support, resources and training to improve the teaching of Indigenous American histories and perspectives in UK classrooms. Project partners include: Schools History Project, Centre for Indigenous and Settler Colonial Studies, Incomindios UK, and King Edward VII School, Sheffield. The project is funded by the University of Sheffield’s Knowledge Exchange fund.
This video on the significance and making of wampum belts is part of a secondary-school, Key Stage 3 History scheme of work created by Jennie Brown of Sheffield’s King Edward VII School on ‘Why do different kinds of histories matter?’ The scheme offers an introduction to KS3 History through centring non-written sources and investigating how Indigenous and First Nations communities share their histories. It was written with advice from Hartman Deetz (Mashpee Wampanoag) and other members of the TIHPS team. The resources which relate to this video can be found here.
Credits
- Created by: Hartman Deetz and the TIHPS project team
- Filming, editing, and production: Four Agency
- Special thanks to Hartman Deetz, Jennie Brown, University of Sheffield
- Background Image Credit: Català: Wampum by Valencian Museum of Ethnology (This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.)
Correct as of content publication - 28/04/2026
Copyright Notice: CC BY-NC 4.0
This video is free to use for educational purposes. Most materials, including images and text, have been used under Creative Commons and free educational licences. Where copyrighted material has been used with author permission this is indicated. Users who make changes to the resources are responsible for ensuring the appropriate copyright is secured.
This video was created by Hartman Deetz and the Teaching Indigenous Histories and Perspectives in Schools (TIHPS) project at the University of Sheffield.
Inspired by the work of Professor Caroline Dodds Pennock, TIHPS is funded by the University of Sheffield’s Knowledge Exchange fund. Project partners include the Schools History Project, the Centre for Indigenous and Settler Colonial Studies, Incomindios UK and King Edward VII School, Sheffield.