Wampum: Beads of Diplomacy

Bearing witness to more than two centuries of diplomatic exchange between the nations of North America

Montreal, October 18, 2023. – From October 20, 2023, to March 10, 2024, the McCord Stewart Museum presents the exhibition Wampum: Beads of Diplomacy. Wampum are remarkable objects made from shell beads that were exchanged for over two centuries—from the early 17th to the early 19th century—during diplomatic meetings between nations in northeastern America, including European nations. For the first time, this unprecedented exhibition brings together over 40 wampum belts from public and private collections in Quebec, Canada and Europe. Some forty cultural objects from the period also help to contextualize and explain their fundamental role. In addition, the Museum is continuing its mission to amplify contemporary Indigenous voices by inviting the public to discover the work of artists Hannah Claus, Nadia Myre, Teharihulen Michel Savard and Skawennati, inspired by wampum, and to hear anecdotes from members of several nations through a series of videos. This exhibition, presented exclusively in Canada at the McCord Stewart Museum by Rio Tinto, launches a cycle of temporary exhibitions dedicated to the art, knowledge and history of Indigenous peoples, which will run until fall 2024.

Powerful cultural and political symbols

The exhibition invites visitors to explore the powerful cultural and political symbolism of wampum. These objects were the physical representation of words, agreements or laws that had to accompany any accord or talk between nations. Spoken words were only considered sincere if accompanied by wampum. These “belts of truth” therefore served to materialize the word, to confirm it and to seal alliances. Visitors will be able to understand the fundamental role of wampum in relations between Indigenous and European nations, the relationship between these objects and geopolitical issues in Canadian history, and their significance and influence today.

“Since wampum are valuable and coveted objects that bear witness to international alliances at the very heart of Canada, it’s important that we better understand them. We believe that putting on display the majority of wampum preserved in Canadian institutions will spark discussion and provoke thought. We hope this exhibition will create opportunities for gathering and exchange, just as wampum did in the past,” says Jonathan Lainey, Curator, Indigenous Cultures, and lead curator of the exhibition.

Object photographs

On October 14, around 40 representatives of nations and communities from the United States and Canada gathered at the Museum to welcome the wampum and reconnect directly with these cultural objects before they go on display.

Exceptional international collaboration

Developed and co-produced with the Musée du quai Branly – Jacques Chirac in Paris, the exhibition was first presented in Paris and then at the Seneca Art and Culture Center in Victor, New York. The only stop in Canada, the Montreal presentation brings together the largest selection of cultural belongings: it includes 13 wampum from the McCord Stewart Museum collection, as well as the wampum belt presented by the Kanesatake community to Pope Gregory XVI, which has not been repatriated since 1831. Visitors to the exhibition will also be able to view wampum and related objects – medals, weapons, ornaments, moccasins, maps, engravings, books, etc. – from the Museum’s own collection (66), as well as from the collections of the Canadian Museum of History (11), Parks Canada (3), the Bank of Canada Museum (5), the Musée de la civilisation (8), the Centre d’Archives Régionales du Séminaire de Nicolet (3), the Musée Huron-Wendat (1), the musée du quai Branly – Jacques Chirac in Paris (18) and the Trésor de la Cathédrale de Chartres (2).*

*Important: The wampum coming from the Vatican will be on display in the exhibition until December 2, and those from the Trésor de la Cathédrale de Chartes until January 14.

“This exhibition is an absolutely unprecedented opportunity in my career since wampum has been my main research subject for over twenty years. When I submitted my master’s thesis on the subject in 2003, I never imagined that one day I’d be supervising an exhibition bringing together so many wampum in one place, in an institution as celebrated as the McCord Stewart Museum. The relationships we’ve developed with other institutions and Indigenous nations over the years, and the trust they place in us, have allowed us to pull off this real tour de force,” says Jonathan Lainey.

A place to meet and discover

Keen to make the contents and wampum as accessible as possible for different audiences, the Museum team has designed two programs dedicated to Indigenous school and community groups and families. More than twenty schools and community groups from several Quebec communities will be visiting Wampum: Beads of Diplomacy and Indigenous Voices of Today: Knowledge, Trauma, Resilience over the coming months, thanks to the support of Rio Tinto . In addition, content specifically designed for children within the exhibition will help them understand the history and significance of wampum, while encouraging interaction with the adults accompanying them.

“This first major exhibition devoted to wampum belts in the world would never have been possible without the unprecedented and remarkable collaboration between the musée du quai Branly – Jacques Chirac in Paris and the McCord Stewart Museum in Montreal, or without the exceptional support of public and private institutions in Quebec, Canada and abroad, and of private individuals who agreed to part with key cultural assets from their collections. We are grateful for their trust, which is a testament to the McCord Stewart Museum’s longstanding efforts to position itself as a place for meeting and dialogue with Indigenous nations. I also salute the work carried by the research and production teams in Paris and Montreal, who give us this unique opportunity to discover the history and significance of wampum,” says Anne Eschapasse, President and CEO of the Museum.

“Rio Tinto is proud to present Wampum: Beads of Diplomacy at the McCord Stewart Museum, promoting the discovery of wampum belts, exceptional witnesses to the richness of Indigenous cultures,” said Claudine Gagnon, General Manager, Communities and Social Performance, Aluminium, Rio Tinto. “We are delighted to support visits by indigenous school groups, offering young people the opportunity to reconnect with their culture and take part in intergenerational exchanges. We believe this exhibition is a must-see for a wide audience and we thank the Museum for welcoming it in Montreal.”

Exhibition views

Curatorship, scientific committee and production team

An exhibition by the McCord Stewart Museum developed and coproduced with the Musée du quai Branly – Jacques Chirac in Paris.

CLead curator for the Montreal presentation: Jonathan Lainey, Curator, Indigenous Cultures, McCord Stewart Museum

Associate curators:

• Michael Galban, Curator of the Seneca Art & Culture Centre, Ganondagan State Historic Site, Victor (New York)
• Paz Núñez-Regueiro, Head Curator of the Americas Collections at the musée du quai Branly – Jacques Chirac, Paris
• Nikolaus Stolle, Visiting scholar for the CRoyAN project, musée du quai Branly – Jacques Chirac, Paris

Project management: François Vallée, Project Manager, Exhibitions, McCord Stewart Museum

Scientific committee:

• Darren Bonaparte, Ahkwesahsró:non Historian & Author
• Jean-Philippe Thivierge, Huron-Wendat Nation

Exhibition design and graphic design: Principal

This exhibition is made possible with the support of the Terra Foundation for American Art. This project is funded in part by the Government of Canada, with the support of the Consulate General of France in Quebec City.

Publications

To accompany the exhibition, the McCord Stewart Museum has published an 81-page illustrated booklet, both a souvenir of the exhibition and a reference on the history and significance of wampum. The booklet features photos of twelve wampum necklaces and other related objects held by the McCord Stewart Museum, as well as excerpts of texts taken from the exhibition. Available exclusively at the Museum Boutique for $19.

Graphic design: Studio Barbara Jacques

Issue 33 of Gradhiva magazine, produced in conjunction with the exhibition at the Musée du quai Branly – Jacques Chirac in Paris, will also be available at the Museum Boutique. Titled Wampum : les perles de la diplomatie, it contains several essays on wampum, including one by Jonathan Lainey, Curator, Indigenous Cultures.

Connecting with Indigenous Nations

In keeping with its mission to amplify contemporary Indigenous voices and facilitate access to the works and information in the Indigenous Cultures collection it preserves, the McCord Stewart Museum has launched a microsite called Connecting with Indigenous Nations, bringing together a wealth of content on Indigenous cultures. The Museum invited Kanien’kehá:ka artist Leilani Shaw to create a work incorporating symbols that have a special significance to the Indigenous nations in Quebec. Her work titled The Guiding Light of Mother Earth welcomes visitors to this new virtual space.

Download documents

Press Kit (PDF)
Press Release (WORD)

Images de presse

Object photographs
Exhibition views
Portraits of Jonathan Lainey