Photographs (left to right): Green-eyed spider, Florida; Fall, Oatka Creek Park, New York; Hairy Gull, Florida

Wampum Belt Archive

 

Lewis Morgan Belt

1850

 

Original Size:	Length: 69.5 cm. 27.4 inches. Width: 2.0 inches. Rows: 7.
Reproduction:
Beads:
Materials:

Description:

Black shell bead belt with nine white outlined diamonds and a single open cross pattern.

A comparatively recent dark purple belt made on threads and bound at each end by ribbon. This wampum is in perfect condition and carries nine white open diamond-shaped figures along its length, with a small white open square at one end.

This belt was made at Tonawanda, N. Y., from beads which Mr. Morgan purchased (in October 1850) at Grand River, Ontario, Canada, from the daughter of Joseph Brant (Thayendanagea), the celebrated Mohawk war chief, to whom they formerly belonged. A. C. Parker remarks that it is "said to symbolize the peace between clans and villages"; but its principal value lies in the association it bears to the names of Brant and Morgan (Clarke, 1931).

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Lewis H. Morgan was an attorney practicing law in Rochester, New York from (1844 to 1862).

He also served in the NYS Assembly (1861-1868) and in the NYS Senate (1868- 1869).

By chance he met and was befriended by Ely Parker which began a long and close friendship.

Morgan developed a deep interest in the Hodinöhsö:ni´ culture and over his lifetime championed their struggles against colonialism and oppression.

 

Reference:

Clarke, Noah. T. 1931. The Wampum Belt Collection Of The New York State Museum. Report Of The Director. NYS Museum Bulletin 288.