| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| susquesus |
Posted - September 11 2003 : 3:34:27 PM
"This belt which is a record of the days of my fathers people speaks for my truth."
Hawkeye to the Sachem of the Huron
What is Hawkeye talking about, how does the beaded belt tell the story of the Mohicans and how does that story give any credence to his assertions about Magua? Does the pattern of black and white beads break down into a code of some sort? I've always been confused by this. Or is he saying that as a result of the the Mohicans dealings with the French and English they are a destroyed people, thus their story should serve as a warning to the Hurons? |
| 14 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Lurking Huron9787 |
Posted - July 04 2005 : 4:57:44 PM
Maybe I can help clear some things up. First shell wampum was used for personal jewelry. I have had the rare pleasure of seeing and holding a Osage necklace made of very long wampum beads dating to the early 19th century. Also there is a womans necklace in the Painter collection made up of purple wampum and white welk shell beads.There are at least two Huron shell wampum bead necklaces and several Shell wampum belts and one pair of wristbands attributed to the Iroquois.Also of the one shell wampum belt I have seen personally ,there are very specific meanings to the symbals on the belt. The first factory ever to be built in America was a dutch wampum bead factory producing shell beads for the Native trade. So I think there might be some confusion as to the availability of shell beads, they were available. This question was also posed a few weeks back and a gentleman from Iroquois country stated that they had always used shell wampum. As for colors once glass wampum was introduced we also see red , green, black and yellow occasionsally. I know of a strap on a bag with yellow wampum. War belts were also painted red. I have picture of most of the items and would be happy to share if anyone wants one. Hope this helps clear up some of the misinformation.
Jim |
| chasis_22 |
Posted - June 18 2005 : 1:16:38 PM
When did they do a tv series of LOTM? I have to say I probably would never watch it for the simple fact that the people in the pic that was posted look aweful as the characters. Their Hawkeye looks more like he belongs on Little House on the Prairie. The Uncas looks old and mean (unlike the Uncas we all know and love)....and as for their Cora...she too looks older than the age she is scripted to be. All in All it's like looking at a pic of what would happen to our beloved characters if they had let themselves go! |
| Kate |
Posted - June 18 2005 : 10:57:08 AM
quote:
"This belt which is a record of the days of my fathers people speaks for my truth." ~ Hawkeye to the Sachem of the Huron
PS - Just to take the 'code' of the Wampum Belt a step further... (NOT thast I don't believe you've figured it out for yerselves!).
I'm thinking that this quote is, in effect, the past equivalent of a phrase we often use today - "| swear on my mother's grave that what I'm about to say is the truth". Part of Native American culture is based on the importance of the elders - and the importance of ancestors. Swearing to something on the backs of one's ancestors gives credence to the conversation. To do so - and lie - would be the most heinous thing that one could do.
In swearing to the truth of his words, over his Wampum belt, Hawkeye is in effect 'swearing on his mother's grave' ... swearing by all the ancestors recorded on his Belt, swearing by the history of his proud people... This importance of one's ancestors is a common thing throughout the NA nations and therefore, the Sachem can appreciate the honesty and integrity of Hawkeye - and his words.
I wish that, these days, OUR phrase had the power that those words had back then... *sigh*... Or am I just an old cynic?
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| Kate |
Posted - June 18 2005 : 12:04:09 AM
Gosh, I remember wondering about this very subject myself a few years ago! And I happened to mention this to our own John Evans, at the Second Annual Great Mohican Gathering 2000! He told me that there was indeed a ‘record of the days of his people’ embedded in Hawkeye’s Wampum belt. And hoping he won’t mind my passing on his information to you all, I’ll share it with you:
“White: Associated with the north and cold
Black: Associated with the west and the setting sun; Dark colour indicates trouble
The Black ‘Cross’: Guide the traveller or call the winds
Partial Wigwam Symbol: Family or nation divided
The Pequot/Mohegan Nation was originally part of the Delaware tribe. One of three clans… “Turtles”, “Turkeys”, and “Wolves”. Mohiksinug, or Mohegans, means “Wolf People”. The Wolf Clan broke away from the others and moved to the northeast, settling in upstate New York along Lake Champlain. They eventually left this location and moved south to an area along the Connecticut coast.
The Pequot nation divided in two about 1635. This split was precipitated by a quarrel between two tribal leaders, Uncas and Sassacus, over Pequot response toward the European newcomers to their land. Uncas’s followers eventually left the main Pequot village on the east bank of the Pequot (Thames) River. They asserted their independence from the Pequot Nation by reassuming the old clan name of “Mohegan” or “People of the Wolf”. This group then crossed the Pequot River and settled on lands on the western bank at a place called Shantuck.
Translation of the wampum belt powder horn strap carried by Hawkeye: “The Wolf People, the divided family of the nation that had come from the north, land of the cold, moved west toward the setting sun to a new home, guided by the four directions”.
Did that help ‘clear it up any’??
I found that explanation very fascinating and now, every time I use that pattern in any of my quilts (which I do quite a lot!), I’m reminded of the story of the “People of the Wolf”. And though the new owner of the quilt may not know the significance of that particular pattern, *I* like knowing that every time the Wampum pattern is added to a quilt, it helps to keep the history of that proud race alive.
Many thanks to John Evans for his kindness and patience in answering my queries re: his various accountrements and attire!
Image Insert:
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Gosh… *sigh*… it’s far too long since we met up with him and got the chance to check out his LOTM props again!!!… *sigh* 
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| Fitz Williams |
Posted - June 16 2005 : 5:48:51 PM
quote:
kind of like the stickers people put on the back of their Winnebago
Now that I think of it, some of those Huron houses did look a little like an Airstream. |
| Stephanie |
Posted - June 16 2005 : 12:37:27 PM
I always thought the beads were souveneirs, kind of like the stickers people put on the back of their Winnebago to show off where they've been. Maybe Hawkeye's people remember their travels by recalling where they obtained certain beads, or maybe the beads even have tiny writing on them, like "Grand Canyon" or "Disneyland". Oh Chingachgook, remember when we got this Chimney Rock bead and all those crazy Gatherers were there?
heheh Ok I took a silly pill I guess! Sorry!
Steph |
| wlogwihlas |
Posted - September 25 2003 : 10:36:54 AM
actually the latest research leaves me to beleive that glass wampum was introduced to some tribes long before the shell wampum was made by the natives. this may seem unbelievable, bu some of the latest digs show glass wampum farther down then the shell wampum. also their was red glas wampum that was used for a certain purpose of which i know not at this time; however i know that they had it, and that they used it.
adio
wlogwihlas |
| Fitz Williams |
Posted - September 12 2003 : 11:32:42 PM
Ah yes! Lynda Carter. I wonder how Charlotte's dresses would have looked on her. |
| Hawkeye_Joe |
Posted - September 12 2003 : 2:25:20 PM
Just to show you that TV always tries to do things bigger and better, check out HAWKEYE's wampum belt in the TV series. It's at least twice the size of DDL's. I guess that the story of the Mohican people is longer on TV, but they shorted him on "Killdeer" he's sitting down and it's not coming up over his head...:)
 |
| Doc M |
Posted - September 12 2003 : 2:09:10 PM
Ah, Mr. Bill -- ever the silver-tongued devil!!
XXXX
Doc |
| Bill R |
Posted - September 12 2003 : 2:02:03 PM
Welcome back Doc! Missed you. Was getting far too safe in the woods and village. Boring even. Didn't I see you taking snookums for a walk the other night? Wait! NO. I didn't! Confused my watching American Werewolf in London with you and your snookums there! riiiiggghht! I was having a nightmare! Funny how you appear in a lot of THEM! |
| Doc M |
Posted - September 12 2003 : 1:45:21 PM
Gee, I always just figured the record of the days of his fathers
was:
a) a short story, or
b) really really boring!
*snort! snort!*
Doc M |
| Bill R |
Posted - September 12 2003 : 1:22:54 PM
You know, I have always wondered about that. I wondered HOW a belt with the repetitive symbols as movie belt, could possibly be an entire "record of his people". Now I begin to understand. What Clabert is saying is that the belt is a RECOGNIZABLE SYMBOL of his people/clan? And the Huron would know that particular belt was OF the Mohicans, thus know Hawkeye was OF the Mohicans if he was in possession of such an important symbol of the Mohican people? Makes sense. |
| Cyndie |
Posted - September 12 2003 : 10:13:16 AM
This reply is from Clabert actually. As you all know by now - he is never able to remember all his stuff to sign on. I am thinking SENILITY HAS STRUCK!!! Just kidding...
*First of all, wampum belts were never just woven because it was fun. Each one had a reason for being. (also know that real shell wampum was almost never worn as jewelry. They were to rare and valuable. Wampum chokers and bracelets came about after the introduction of the glass wampum beads) For instance, up until the late 1700`s, no treaties was ever signed by Native Americans if there wasn`t a wampum belt woven to ratify it. Now having said that lets remember that there were only two colors of wampum, white and purple, so the there were only so many symbols that could be made from that. Most of the symbols had no specific meaning. The belt itself was simply used to help the story teller remember certain things or events. The Five Nations of the Iroqois each had their own wampum belt and then one that represented the Nation itself. The Cherokee also had one belt for each clan as well as a belt used to call all clans to meetings. It didn`t actualy say anything but was recognized as such. So knowing all this, when Hawkeye made his statement "This belt which is a record of the days of my fathers people speaks for my truth." most of us never bat an eye. Probably the same for the Huron because they all lived so close to each other, they knew it was the "wampum belt " of the Mohican people and the belts never lie or they just simply would not be. |
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