Wampum jewelry and the adornments that are made from the shell of the quahog are part of a tradition among the Wampanoag that is thousands of years old. The word wampum quite literally means “white shell bead” and refers to all of the beads that are made from the quahog shell whether they are white or the shades of color from a light violet to a very dark purple that’s found at the hinge of the shell. 

King Phillip’s War raged on for more than a year starting on June 20, 1675, with devastating casualties on both sides and to this day it is known as the bloodiest conflict that was ever fought on American soil. Metacom, known as King Philip, was assassinated on August 12th in 1676, effectively ending the War. At the time of his death, he carried with him a glorious wampum belt that was removed from him and was taken as a spoil of war. Journalist Paula Peters tell the story of the belt and recent efforts to create a new belt in a 54-minute video posted by Roger Williams University on October 30, 2025.

In several videos that Peters shows in the presentation, she, Julia Marden and Dr. Margaret Bruchac talk about wampum and the belt that was taken to England following the War but that has never been found.

(Above, right) Aquinnah Wampanoag wampum artist Jason Widdis made most of the wampum pieces for the belt that Peters holds (above, left) that was made collectively by hundreds of Wampanoag people as part of the 400th anniversary of the founding of Plymouth Colony.