Endowed with an aura of mystery, wampums evoke the great speeches and eminent peace treaties of past centuries. Dating from the time of the Conquest, the ax wampum or “the great war necklace” concretely shows the mix of diplomatic customs of the Old and New World.
Upon their arrival on the east coast of North America in the 17the century, Europeans quickly understood that they could not ally themselves with the Aboriginal people without resorting to wampums.
Meaning “strings of white shells”, the word “wampum” is an abbreviation of “wampumpeague” in Algonquin from southern New England. Wampums are used to memorize the words exchanged during peace treaties among the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) and the Wendat (Huron).
For twenty years, wampums have experienced renewed interest, to such an extent that some do not hesitate to speak of “the rebirth of wampums”.
A wampum in London
The ax wampum is one of those remarkable diplomatic necklaces that has been the subject of extensive research in recent years. The written sources are eloquent in this regard. This is certainly linked to his surprising trip to England to the court of George IV in 1825, where he was brought by the Wendat Chief Nicolas Vincent Tsawanhonhi.
The objective of this trip was to recall the alliance of the British with the Wendat of the Saint Lawrence valley and to seek the support of the king regarding a territorial conflict concerning the lordship of Sillery.
Although we do not know the real impact of this visit for the Wendat cause, the delegation composed of four Aboriginal people from Loreto (Wendake) certainly caused a sensation within London society.
Several journalists report the story of their trip. The painter Edward Chatfield even painted the portrait of the Chief and the wampum, but also of the three other ambassadors: works which were then lithographed and sold as souvenirs.
All this publicity accentuates the reputation of ax wampum and will soon make it a highly coveted item among collectors.
Wendat (Huron) Chief Nicolas Vincent Tsawanhonhi (1769-1844) from Lorette (Wendake) in 1825, showing wampum with an axe. The coat worn by Nicolas Vincent Tsawanhonhi in this lithograph was given to him on his arrival in England. Considered a priceless gift and a badge of honor, it was subsequently worn by the leaders who succeeded him.
M20855 © McCord-Stewart Museum
From diplomacy to collection
In the second half of the 19th centurye century, wampums were gradually put aside, thanks to written and signed treaties. Diplomatic necklaces passed from a leader to his successor become objects that are passed down within the same family sphere.
When one of the last great chiefs, François-Xavier Picard Tahourenché, died in 1883, his son, Paul Picard, inherited the great war collar of the Council of the Seven Fires.
The latter, in debt, pawned the precious necklace with the notary and collector Cyrille Tessier (1835-1931). It was then that Tessier became its owner, to the great dismay of young Picard who was unable to buy it back.
Map of the seven indigenous villages domiciled along the St. Lawrence River or the “Sept-Feux” at the time of the Conquest in 1760. Also including the hamlet of Népissingues then residing with the Anishnabek (Algonquins) at Lac-des-Deux-Montagnes , not far from that of the Mohawks of Kanesatake, we can count eight villages, hence, possibly, the eight lines of white pearls visible above the wampum ax. Although their composition has evolved over time, these establishments have persisted until today, with the exception of the Algonquin village of Pointe-du-Lac near Trois-Rivières.
© Map by Alexandre Lapointe
A long struggle then begins to get their hands on the coveted wampum. The great Montreal collector, David Ross McCord (1844-1930), did everything possible to buy wampum from Tessier in Quebec. Paul Picard’s son, Pierre-Albert, also tries to convince him to return the artifact to the Wendat. Tessier stubbornly refuses.
It was only much later, in 1957, well after the deaths of Cyrille Tessier and David Ross McCord, that the institution bearing the latter’s name finally acquired the famous wampum.
Today, the pendulum is returning: it is under the care of Jonathan Lainey, Wendat curator at the McCord-Stewart Museum and a great Canadian expert on wampum.
A major exhibition celebrating wampum
“We have brought together these numerous wampums in order to bring them out of the shadows and make them accessible to everyone. We hope that this exhibition will generate meetings and the sharing of knowledge,” explains Jonathan Lainey.
From October 20, 2023 to March 10, 2024, the McCord-Stewart Museum presents the exhibition “Wampum, pearls of diplomacy”, developed and co-produced with the Musée du Quai de Branly.
A true tour de force, it brings together more than 40 of these precious objects: the largest number of these artifacts grouped in the same place since the time of the major peace treaties.
Clam shell (Mercenaria mercenaria or Venus mercenaria) is traditionally used by indigenous peoples of the North Atlantic to make white and purple pearls. With the arrival of Europeans and metal tools, beads became more uniform and could be produced in larger quantities.
© Photo by Alexandre Lapointe