Recovering Six Nations' heritage in wampums By Stephanie Dearing explaining his wife had giv­ torian Keith Jamieson. SIX NATIONS en him instructions to sell But while price presents the plate at a certain price. a rather large stumbling Watching a silver breast The breast plate had been in block, it's one of the least plate, originally given to Six his wife's family for some problems in bringing some­ Nations by the British dur­ time, he said. His wife's thing back to where it right­ ing the negotiations of the mother was a Blackfoot. fully belongs. 1784 Fort Stanwix Treaty, The Silver Dollar shop "The problem is, we don't being sold to a pawn shop owners had an expert come know how they [the seller] featured on the popular tele­ in to appraise the breast got it," said Jamieson. "Un­ vision series, Cajun Pawn plate, which was valued less we can find the prov­ Stars, shocked Brenda Ma­ at an estimated $25,000 to enance to it, and it was racle Hill, who wondered if $30,000. According to the stolen and they bought sto­ the breast plate could be re­ expert, the plate was giv­ len property, then we· have covered. en to Six Nations Iroquois a shot. But if it was bought "That's ours," Brenda at Fort Stanwix at the sign­ legitimately from whoever said, explaining how she ing of the 1874 treaty, which received it, then there's not felt upon realizing the breast took place after the Ameri­ much you can say." plate was historically signif­ can War of Independence. "We try and catch those icant to Six Nations. While Brenda felt the things. We try and dis­ The episode of the televi­ breast plate should come suade potential buyers from Two wampum belts available for sale on eba.y on February 8, 2013. One is called a Wolf sion program, which airs on home, there can be a wide buying them on the premise Treaty Belt, marking a treaty between the Mohawk and the French. The second is an On­ the History Channel, shows divide between finding an that they are a cultural pat­ ondaga Belt commemorating the coming of the Tuscarora in 1713. a man who is only named item that is part of your cul­ rimony; which means they "Emerson" bringing in the tural heritage and bringing belong to the community, Repatriating an item re­ cess, when dealing with Six Nations at the end of the breast plate to the Silver it home. The selling price they don't belong to any quires "a huge amount of museums, is to file a claim. War of 1812, went missing Dollar Pawn and Jewellery of that item is one of those one individual," Jamieson research," said Jamieson. This step can take years, as for over 100 years after Pau­ shop, located in Louisiana, factors, said Six Nations his- explained. When Six Nations can show was the case for the repatria­ line Johnson used the belt to an item has cultural patrimo­ tion of the Claus Wampum obtain money to finance her ny, "we are able to retrieve Belt, which returned home travels to England. The belt it." to Six Nations last year. disappeared, and it was only The next step in the pro- That historic belt, given to Continued on page 4 Recovering Six Nations' heritage in wampums Continued from page 2 many others are privately age people from doing that. Some of them came from the tum up on the Pawn Stars "There's no question, those to Six Nations historians. collected. In 2011, one Ca­ They're looking at it as pure­ Canadian Museum of Civi­ series. "They put it up for wampum belts are worth, as a Johnson, who liked to use nadian who buys and sells ly something that will add to lization, and some from the sale," he said. "They don't collectors item," said Jamie­ the wampum belts as dramat­ such antiquities, auctioned their retirement fund," said Smithsonian's National Mu­ have a clue what it is. They son. "To the people here, it's ic props for her recitals and two Yup'ik masks, fetching Jamieson. seum of Natural History. only know it's a wampum worth a lot more than dollars. readings, bought the belts millions for the pair, the price Jamieson said he and other Jamieson said he has seen belt. We try and intervene So it's a different value sys­ from Onondaga Chief John ensuring the Yup'ik will like­ Six Nations members work a number of wampum belts before it gets to that point." tem that you're dealing with." Buck, who was in charge of ly never see those masks in to keep tabs on artifacts and ___ keeping them. When he died, their community again. antiquities that belong to Six his children sold the belts. Johnson was not the first or the last person to use a cul­ turally significant item as fi­ nancial leverage, and despite increased knowledge about the loss of cultural items, people still sell their com­ munity heritage. A Vancouver First Na­ tion woman will soon be stripped of her name, title and traditional responsibili­ ties after selling two masks late last year. According to Keith Jamieson B.C. Newspaper, The Prov­ ince, the unnamed woman Once an object goes up for Nations. Repatriation is not is being punished for her ac­ auction, "it's very hard to do always possible, because of­ tion because the masks were something," said Jamieson, ten there is no way to prove considered community prop­ "because you're intervening how an object, like the sil­ erty. The woman's family with a fair transaction, from ver breast plate, managed to cared for the masks, the job all appearances. Unless find its way from Six Nations handled by the women. you're a big-time museum hands and into the hands of Tt is not known if the First who can afford to put out a the owners of the Silver Dol­ Nation wi_ll be able to recover hundred grand for something, lar Pawn Shop, located in the the masks. we don't have a chance. We southern United States. While a large number of don't have a prayer." Over the years, Six Nations cultural objects have found The angle Six Nations re­ has been able to get a number their way into museums, lies on is to "try to discour- of wampum belts returned.