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The Making of the Wampum Belt

The creation of a new Wampum Belt by the Native American Wampanoag Nation is one of the cornerstones of the 400th anniversary of the Mayflower's sailing, and it is told in a powerful new short film shown below.

Four hundred years ago, the Wampanoag people met the people of the Mayflower when they arrived on American shores. Central to their culture was Wampum - items of huge spiritual significance, made and woven onto belts with extraordinary skill.

In 1675-76, the attritional King Philip’s War waged as the colonists killed thousands of Native Americans in their last stand against the expansion into their lands in what is described as the bloodiest battle in US history.

Among the fallen was Wampanoag leader Metacom, known as King Philip. His Wampum Belt was seized, stolen and is still missing today.

To mark 400 years of shared history between nations, Wampanoag artists and scholars have created a new Wampum Belt in partnership with The Box, Plymouth, that will tour the UK in a project of huge cultural significance. The exhibition will tell the story of the Wampanoag and the making of this new belt.

You can read more about the history of the Wampanoag here.