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Wampum / ᎠᏕᎳ ᏗᎦᎫᏗ performance by Elisa Harkins

Wampum / ᎠᏕᎳ ᏗᎦᎫᏗ is an ongoing project where Elisa Harkins sings in a combination of Cherokee, English and Muscogee (Creek) to electronic dance music, some of which is inspired by of sheet music of Indigenous music notated by Daniel Chazanoff during the 20th century.

As an act of Indigenous Futurism, it combines disco and Indigenous language in an effort to alter the fate of these endangered languages through active use, preservation on pressed vinyl and radio play.

The performance of Wampum / ᎠᏕᎳ ᏗᎦᎫᏗ is referring to Wampum belts and Indigenous peacekeeping as well as the Cherokee use of wampum beads as currency.

ᎠᏕᎳ ᏗᎦᎫᏗ, pronounced a-de-la di-ga-gu-di can be translated to “money on a string”.

The intention of the Wampum / ᎠᏕᎳ ᏗᎦᎫᏗ performance is to create a metaphorical peacekeeping agreement that is between the people watching the piece, regardless of tribe or race.