The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-07-05
INDIAN
GURIO OF
GREAT AGE
Handed Down from Generation
to Generation
KNOWN AS WAMPUN
On the Belt Are Figures of
Two Men

Guthrie, o. T., July 4.-Colonel Sam
Armstrong, a government employe at the
Seneca Indian Training School near Wy
andotte in the eastern part of the Indian
/ territory has an Indian curio which he
believes TO be over 800 years old. 1t
has been handed down from generation
to generation and Colonel Armstrong Sc
! cured it from Governor Walker, the first
provisional governor of Kansas.
The curio is known as wampum and be-
longed to the Wyandotte tribe Of which
Colonel Armstrong is a member. The
wampam is in the form of a belt, made
of beads and buckskin. The beads are
of Indian make, as is the buckskin and
they are sewed together by thread made
of bark. On the belt are the figures of
two men, supposed to be touching hands;
also other emblems. What these figures
mean no ne now knows, but it was
the evidence of some condition or agree
ment made years and years ago.
Colonel Armstrong in speaking Of the
wampam said: There has been a mis-
taken idea prevalent relative TO wampam.
Early writer's stated that wampam was
currency used in Indian trading. Wam-
pam is an evidence Of a contract and
every tribe had a wampam man whose
business it was to make wampam and
go interpret the emblems upon wampam
which might be brought to him from time
to time. The wamPam man, prior to his
DEATH handed down the wampam of his
tribe to someone designated by himself
to become the wampam man of the tribe.
Thus this wampam may be handed down
from generation TO generation and the
meaning lost forever.
Il secured three pieces of wampam from
Governor Walker of Kansas. He was the
wampam man of the Wyandottes and be-
fore his death he made the wampam man
and turned everything over to me. I sent
one piece of wampam to the Smithsonian
institute at Washington and gave an
other piece away The wampam 1 have
now is the only wampam left and when
l die 1 do not intend to name u success
sor. We have utgrown the sentiment
of years ago and do not realize what
wampam meant TO the Indian tribes.
mo one knows what significance the
figures on the wampam have. When the
Pawnees held their council in western
Kansas in the '40s Governor Walker
took this piece of wampam to that council
but none of the old Indians could tell
anything about it. 1t was there that he
concluded that it must be not less than
300 years old. May people have asked
for this piece of wampam, but / have re-
fused to sell it. l have been offered ST.
coo for it by curio hunters, but 1 want
it myself so will not sell it. The young
Indian of today does ont know what
wampam meant to members of his tribe
of ther generations, consequently l
do not see the use of handing it own
to some one else in the tribe.
"One piece of wampam 1 had was made
of white beads with a cross in blue work
ed upon it. Years ago the Wyandottes
wanted to have a green corn dance in
July and missionaries proposed that it
be held on the 18th of August on account
Of that being an important day in their
church. The contract was made and as
an evidence of this contract the wam- !
pam was manufactured. and a duplicate
given to the missionaries and the original !
kept by the tribe"