Pomo Wampum Makers [pp. 101-108]

Overland Monthly
VOL. XXX. (Second Series.) August, 1897. No. 176
POMO WAMPUM MAKERS'
AN ABORIGINAL DOUBLM STANDARD
BY JOHN W. HUDSON, M. D.
IKE all other nations of earth,
whether civilized, barbaric, or
savage, our North American
Indians have long recognized
the convenience of a money sys tem, based on some compara tively rare natural product,
small in size and light of weight,
that would serve among them
those purposes which a silver
dollar does to us. Aboriginal
coin was noted and described by
the earliest explorers of the
Western world and called
peak, or later, adopting the
native Narragansett term,
f wampum. As far as known
there have been about twenty
- varieties of wampum in use
since the coming of Columbus,
each current in its locality,
and with slight fluctuation appreciated
amongst the most distant tribes. With a
few notable exceptions all wampum was
manufactured from certain rare sea shells,
hence the collecting and minting was limited
to those peoples living near the sea shore.
In his gradual subjection and decimation
during the past four hundred years the
savage has learned not only the impotence
of his bow and tomahawk in warfare, but
also the value of silver coin. As the broom
of civilization has swept westward across
IFor a description of the Pomo tribes and their exquisite basketry, see an article by Doctor Hudson in the
OVERLAND for June, 1893. [ED.]
the land, the native coiner has been obliterated, till now only one Indian tribe perseveres in the art of wampum making.
On the Pacific slope, in that beautiful
mountain region north of San Francisco, a
type of Indian still lives which preserves
BRINGING BACK THE CLAM SHELLS
(Copyright, 1897, by OVERLAND MONTHLY PUBLISHING COMPANY) All rights reserved
Brown, Meese & Craddock, S. F.