Wampum shell beads have played a significant role in Native American culture for thousands of years. Made from Quahaug Clam shells, Wampum beads have historically been used in Native tribes for ceremonial purposes and later, in the days of English settlement, as a medium of exchange. 

Dan Simonds, the head of Wampum Wear Jewelry, is a Native Pequot artist who has been hand-crafting Wampum jewelry for many years. Through the years, Wampum Wear Jewelry has evolved into a collective that not only sells Dan’s hand-crafted jewelry, but jewelry from well-respected Native artists throughout Indian Country. By continuing to craft traditional Wampum shell jewelry, Dan and the Wampum Wear collective of artists are able to carry on a tradition that has been passed from generation to generation while conserving a key piece of Native American culture.

Wampum Wear Jewelry sells their hand-crafted pieces at regional conferences, pow-wows, and Gathering of Nations, and their gallery offers travelers the opportunity to view and purchase their pieces while exploring the rest of downtown Bozeman.