Native American Heritage Month: Wampum artist Dan Loudfoot Simonds

November 5, 10:17 AMBoston Cultural Events ExaminerWinchin Chala

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IDan Loudfoot Simonds dancing at Pow Wow: Phot

Copyright 2009 Winchinchala. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

When non-Native Americans think of indigenous people, stereotypes might waft to the forefront of the imagination: the faces of Geronimo of Sitting Bull or one of the three chiefs who sat as models Indian Head nickels, buffalo hides, elaborate war bonnets, Kachina dolls or silver and turquoise jewelry This is due to the fact the dominant culture seems to focus more on the Southwestern people than those of other areas of the continent for a variety of reasons. However, indigenous peoples continue to live throughout. Each has treasures and myths equal to those of the peoples of the Southwest regardless of whether they live in Far West, Northeast, Central South, Southeast or the Northeast.

The Northeast Woodlands people have art and crafts of historical importance dating back to the 17th century (and far beyond European recorded history.) It involves basket making, feathers, quill art, beadwork and wampum. Some archaeologists have discovered wampum beads which are 4,500 years old. Wampum is made “from the Whelk shell ("Meteaûhock"), and purple-black ("Súki") beads ("Suckáuhock") from the growth rings of the Quahog shell ("Suckauanaûsuck"). (http://www.nativetech.org/wampum/wamphist.htm) Wampum, aside from beauty, wearing or presenting jewelry had many social, economic, political and religious implications for the Native Americans of the 1600's in southern New England. Varius colors were symbolic of purity, peace, wealth or even a call to arms. Crafting shells into wampum is an ancient art, and today it is carried on by a few dedicated artists. One such person is Dan Loudfoot Simonds a Mashantucket Pequot (Simonds Family) .

Dan is very proud to be a Wampum artist. His pieces are highly prized throughout the world. He did not study the craft of jewelry making formally; however he did enjoy a highly artistic education. He attended the Norwich Free Academy high school where he studied art. He then continued on to earn a BFA from Mass College of Art in fine arts painting before earning his MFA from Pratt in studio art in Brooklyn Photography and studio art.

Performance by Dan Loudfoot Simonds (Photo courtesy of Dan Loudfoot Simonds)

As part of his latter studies Dan founded the “Native American Monument Initiative.” This was done as a result of noticing the absence of statue for Native American people as he walked around New York City. It is his hope that his organization can raise enough money to have more statues of Native Americans erected.

To both raise money for this effort and fulfill part of his graduate work Dan created an interesting performance piece which he put on from April to May of this year in New York. He made a statement by dressing in his traditional regalia and covering statues (in this case one of Christopher Columbus) with a large black cloth. His concept caught the attention of the Affordable Art Fair, AAF which invited to perform. He was photographed doing this.

Additionally as part of his initiative he would like “to have a panel of people to come up with ideas,” with regards to raising awareness of Native American peoples of the Northeast. “People don’t understand that we were the first slaves. All up and down the coast we were brought to places to St. David’s Island from Bermuda to work in the sugar plantations. They are still there today. The library where the records were housed burned down, so there are no records. I was able to make it down there this summer. I could look at people and knew they were connected to me. And every summer, the Gombey dancers come up to the Mashpee Pow Wow. The money I raised, went toward the statue fund, and I still hope to realize that.”

However his main focus at this time as an artist is on wampum. “I met my wife in Boston she was working on her PhD in public Health at Harvard University, and I was at Mass Art. Her work is focused in the west. Lewis and Clark made their journey out here and they brought wampum out here to trade and the natives out here had no idea what it was.” Dan switched his focus from mixed media to “carving quahog shells and making jewelry, and I don’t feel as isolated out here, I feel a link. Moving far away from home, working with the shells, moves me closer to home.”

When I asked him how making wampum was connected to all the art degrees he has, Dan said: “What I am doing with wampum is the same thing I was doing, it like an artist working on a canvas. Many people don’t perceive it that way but it is.” In addition to being a dying art, it is very labor intensive. “Each shell which is very brittle and breakable, is shaped. And when I am creating jewelry, earrings for example, I want both earrings in a pair to match, that’s a sign of high craftsmanship.” And that’s what Dan Loudfoot Simonds is known for.

To see pieces of this amazing Native American art and to learn more about the artist, please visit http://www.wampumwear.com
 

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