Open Today – Wampum: Stories from the Shells of Native America

Wampum: Stories from the Shells of Native America” a traveling exhibit created by SmokeSygnals, the leading Native creative agency in the Northeast, will be on display at the Little Compton Historical Society from November 30, 2024 to January 20, 2025.  

The exhibit, which has been on tour in the United Kingdom and throughout the Northeast, tells the story of Wampanoag Native America. The Wampanoag people have inhabited the northeastern United States for over 12,000 years. Wampanoags greeted the passengers of the Mayflower in 1620 and helped them survive, yet for almost 400 years, the story of the impact of that event and its aftermath on the Wampanoag Nation has been widely marginalized in the telling of American history. This new exhibit explores that largely-untold story, using images, ideas, and wampum by contemporary Wampanoag artists and educators, and examines and celebrates the art, culture, and resilience of the Wampanoag Nation.

SmokeSygnals was founded by the Peters family, Paula, Steven, and Jennifer, the marketing, advertising, and public relations experts that shared a vision for building a Native-owned production company with a commitment to tackling systemic racism through exhibits, art, and film. Their goal is to give a voice to the stories and perspectives that have been pushed to the margins of the history books.