Paumanok was the Native Americans name for Long Island. It alludes to both the fish-shape of the island and the abundance of wampum seashells found there. The Native American nations of the northeast used purple wampum seashells as their method of payment; it was such an effective currency that early settlers began to use it, too! Some evidence suggest that because of the Long Island tribes access to wampum, they were forced to pay tribute to the more aggressive tribes on the mainland. This is why the name Paumanok - land that gives tribute - is associated with both the natural abundance of Long Island and the possible forced tribute its residents paid.
Posted on: Thu, 28 Nov 2013 17:15:00 +0000
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