Wings to Wampum

Its composition is divided into horizontal thirds. The bottom third depicts a wooden windowsill holding two painted wampum belts: the Hiawatha Belt and the Two Row Wampum. The Hiawatha Belt symbolizes the Great Law of Peace and the unity of the Six Nations, the Seneca, Cayuga, Tuscarora, Onondaga, Oneida, and Mohawk. This belt dates back centuries, likely a millennium before European contact and remains central to our governance and identity. The Two Row Wampum belt, first created when the Mohawks made contacted the Dutch in the early 1600s, represents two vessels, a canoe and a ship traveling parallel down the same river of life. The canoe symbolizes the Haudenosaunee way of life, values, laws, and customs, while the ship represents those of the Europeans. The belt signifies an agreement of mutual respect that neither side would interfere in the other’s way of life. After the British defeated the Dutch, the British upheld this agreement. However, when the Americans defeated the British, they failed to honor it, marking a significant betrayal. Between the two belts in the painting is a wampum shell with beads spilling out, visually revealing what the belts are made of. Crawling around the belts are three baby snapping turtles. Subliminally, I’ve included symbols of all nine Haudenosaunee clans, Turtle, Bear, Wolf, Deer, Heron, Hawk, Snipe, Beaver, and Eel. These are painted to represent the people of all six nations. The middle third of the painting shows a wide flowing river, referencing the Two Row Wampum and showing both vessels traveling side by side. White pine trees line the horizon, symbolizing the Tree of Peace, the central symbol in the Hiawatha Belt and Haudenosaunee culture. The top third is the sky. Hidden in the clouds are shapes of five of the nine clans, Deer, Bear, Wolf, Beaver, and Eel. In the foreground, the winged clans, Heron, Hawk, and Snipes are shown transforming from the wampum belts into birds, creating the title of the painting Wings to Wampum.