Onondaga Nation wampum belts pulled from auction
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Filed Under:
Arts & Entertainment
Two wampum belts that belong to the
Onondaga Nation were pulled from an auction by
Sotheby’s, The New York Times reports.
Tribal representatives objected to the sale of the belts, which were most likely made between 1760 and 1820.. The items were taken from the tribe without approval.
"Wampum belts are our legal documents and records, which also combine sacred knowledge, forming the basis of our identity today," Christine G. Abrams, a member of the Haudenosaunee Standing Committee, said in a letter to Sotheby’s, the Times reported.
Sotheby’s agreed to pull the belts in order to talk to the committee. The items were expected to be sold for up to $30,000.
Get the Story:
2 Disputed Indian Wampum Belts Pulled From Auction
(The New York Times 5/19)
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