Celebration of the Hanover Bicentennial continues with the final 200th event this coming weekend.
On Saturday, Oct. 27 at 2 p.m., Rich Hamell will present a program on Iroquis Wampum belts and their history at the Hanover Town Hall in Silver Creek.
Wampum belts are treaty or covenant belts which had social, political, geographical, and spiritual power associated with them. They were most often given from one tribe to another or from a tribe to a government.
Article Photos
Submitted Photo
Rich Hamell is pictured with a Mohawk Two Dog Christian Belt, the largest beaded belt known, with 13,086 beads.
Hamell has made over 75 historically accurate reproduction belts. Dozens will be on display, such as the Hiawatha and Canandaigua Treaty belts. His Mohawk Two Dog Christian Belt has over 13,000 beads in it and is over 8 feet long.
He is a retired professor of geology and paleontology and has published articles related to those subjects. He began a study of wampum belts about five years ago because of his interest in Iroquois history. He now has a web site which features his belts, www.wampumbear.com.
The program will be highly informative and enjoyable. Refreshments will be served.
