New project revisits wampum belts through a contemporary lens

An Akwesasne artist mak‐ ing contemporary wampum belts says he thinks of strands of purple and white wampum beads as Morse code.

The tubular beads made from quahog shells were used ornamentally or cere‐ monially, and also woven into belts as mnemonic devices recording history, traditions, laws, and diplomacy.

Rohsennase, who is Kanien'kehá:ka, Bear Clan from Akwesasne, which straddles the Ontario, Que‐ bec and New York state bor‐ ders, said their tactile and simple patterns communi‐ cate important messages or invitations to other nations, or console someone in grief.

He's been commissioned for a project called Ahsén:na (Name) Kawén:na (Word) Orén:na (Song), by the Gene‐ see Country Village and Museum in Mumford, N.Y., about 100 kilometres east of Buffalo, supported by the New York State Council on the Arts.

"Using some historic belts as a point of reference, I'm producing contemporary belts that tell stories or speak to experiences that I person‐ ally hold when I think about what is my responsibility to the land and to our people," Rohsennase said.

"I hope that these pieces will inspire conversation and curiosity about what getting land back looks like for us as people."

The project features six contemporary and traditional kaión:ni or wampum belts, which Rohsennase said are meant to be handled and in‐ vestigated as living documen‐ ts because they contain the most precious words, values and experiences of Hau‐ denosaunee people.

Rohsennase initially thought recreating a wampum belt would be easy feat but realized it wasn't.

That's what he appreci‐ ates about their designs.

"If you zoom out, it's so el‐ egant in its simplicity," he said.

"Our most powerful de‐ signs are just so simple on one look but then on another look, they're really, really complex."

Beth Bojarski, senior di‐ rector of programs at Gene‐ see Country Village and Museum, said Rohsennsase's project dovetails with all three of the facility's elemen‐ ts - a historical village, a nature centre and an art gallery - "beautifully."

She said over the last few years the centre has shared stories from the past - the ones they're proud of and the ones they're not very proud of - and connected those to what's happening today and the museum's on‐ going work.

Rohsennase's first presen‐ tation will be March 23 dur‐ ing the museum's Maple Fes‐ tival to talk about the Indige‐ nous relationship to the land, specifically maple trees.

"In the larger project that we have as communities, which is to reclaim ourselves, reclaim our relationships, re‐ claim our responsibilities, a lot of us are focusing on land back as a way to redress what was taken from us," he said.

Rohsennase said steward‐ ship of the land as a collec‐ tive is necessary.

"We have to protect what is left," he said.