Photographs (left to right): Lily Lake, Mountain Falls, Bear Lake. All Rocky Mountain National Park

Wampum Belt Archive

Tuscarora - Eastern Carolina University Belt

Neil Patterson Sr. explains the significance of the zigzag pattern on the wampum belt before presenting it to ECU officials.

http://www.ecu.edu/cs-admin/news/wampum.cfm

Original Size:	Rows: 7. Columns: 110. Total 770 beads.
Reproduction:
Beads:
Materials:	Glass beads.

Description

New belt given by the Tuscarora to the ECU officials. Excerpt for web page:

“This belt is telling a story. Sometimes the wampum belt signifies a treaty or to start a treaty; sometimes they tell a story. The words are read into it,” he said.

“The wampum belt that we have today commemorates what happened 300 years ago,” he said. “This belt … will be worth its weight in gold because this hasn’t been done in 200 years.” 

As he held the wampum belt up, Patterson pointed out that the design had a square at the top and a square at the bottom – both representing homeland. “And the zigzagging of the beads represents a wandering. Some people call it a migration,” he said. “A migration is what you see geese do. What happened a long time ago wasn’t a migration.”

Patterson said as he presented the belt to Sheerer, “We come in humility; we come with forgiveness in our hearts. To remember these things – what man can do to another man should never be done again.” 

Sheerer held the belt as she said, “It is with a sense of honor, awe and respect for the Tuscarora Nation that I accept this wampum belt on behalf of East Carolina University and all the peoples of North Carolina.”

In her remarks, Sheerer said that the university promises to preserve and protect the wampum and will share it on campus and across the state in museums and libraries so it can be seen by other North Carolinians.  

Reference:

East Carolina University New Service. 2013. http://www.ecu.edu/cs-admin/news/wampum.cfm