wampum

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The shells of the large, hard-shelled clam were used by the indigenous Narragansett people as wampum.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 24, 2023

A pair of cases are devoted to items from the Nanticoke people, including a wampum belt and necklace featuring whelk and clam shells and a toy canoe crafted from pine needles and sinew.

From Washington Post • Nov. 22, 2022

It was also their economic nerve center, with the salmon trading for all manner of goods from feathers to copper to wampum, beads crafted from shells.

From Washington Times • Aug. 16, 2022

And some of your ingredients felt like home to me, such as the Quogue clam, then later it comes wampum, the first money.

From Salon • Dec. 12, 2021

In addition to the spoken word, their communication methods include petroglyphs, wampum belts, and books with symbols painted on bark cloth.

From "An Indigenous People’s History of the United States" by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz