Wampum is a historic form of ceremonial belt and beads made from clamshells (especially whelk shells) used by Indigenous peoples of the Eastern Woodlands for currency, storytelling, and treaty-making. In modern usage, it refers to shell-bead wares or the insignia associated with such belts. The term is rooted in Algonquian languages and entered English through colonial contact, retaining ceremonial and cultural significance.
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