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Updated 6/22/2019

Wampum Woman

  • V

    VT

Institution/Business Type: Artist / Creative (Individual)

Linda Longtoe Sheehan's speciality is wampum. She is known affectionately as "Wampum Woman."  She started making wampum belts over thirty years ago and passed her knowlege onto countless young people.

Linda  makes wampum belts and jewelry from glass beads, mother of pearl and quahog.  Her beadmaking starts with a quahog shell. She cuts it to size and shapes it.  Then she weaves her wampum belts using braintanned leather that she makes herself.

Linda learned brain tanning from Mark Humpel, who hosts an annual braintanning weekend.  In the winter Linda scrapes the deer hides; soaks them in the braintan solution; stretches and dries the hides; and works them until they are soft. Then she cuts it into long strips. Each hide takes about 50 hours.

She has done demonstrations at museums and historic sites throughout the Northeast and Mid-Altantic States.  Her work was even requested by the Presidents protocal office.

Artist Statement

I have been designing and making wampum belts, wrist bands, necklaces, bracelets and earrings for over 30 years;.  

I work with real Quahog, glass and mother of pearl wampum beads.   My work has been on display at the Institute for American Indian studies and at Johnson Hall  (historic site).

During the winter months,  I also make my own brain tan leather which I use for to weave my belts.  

Although I specialize in wampum,  I also do Traditional finger weaving, eastern center seam moccasins, Quillwork and  I twine.

Find Me

Linda Longtoe Sheehan
Job Title: Artist
Address:
5243 VT Rte 30
Jamaica, VT 05343

About

Overview

Institution/Business Type:

Artist / Creative (Individual)

Legal Status:

Commercial / For profit - Sole proprietorship

Overview

Institution/Business Type:

Artist / Creative (Individual)

Legal Status:

Commercial / For profit - Sole proprietorship

Disciplines

Primary Discipline:

Visual/Crafts - Jewelry

Additional Disciplines:

  • Visual/Crafts - Wood / Bark

Activities and Services

Activities and Services:

  • Art Sales
  • Artist Market
  • Arts Instruction / Lessons
  • Creation of a Work of Art (Including Commissions)
  • Exhibitions
  • Residency - Community
  • Residency - In School
  • Residency - Other
  • Workshops / Demonstrations / Master Class

Communities

Populations Engaged:

  • Adults
  • Businesses
  • Elders
  • Families
  • General Public
  • Immigrant Populations
  • LGBTQ Populations
  • Native American Tribes
  • Nonprofits
  • People with Disabilities
  • School Groups
  • Teens
  • Veteran/Active Duty Military Personnel

Geographic Reach:

  • Town / City
  • County
  • Multi-County Region
  • State
  • Multi-State Region
  • National

Media Gallery

I Have Worked With

Affiliations and Accomplishments

Professional Associations

Professional Associations:

  • Vermont Abenaki Artist Association, Juried Artist
  • Woodland Confederacy

Professional Associations

Professional Associations:

  • Vermont Abenaki Artist Association, Juried Artist
  • Woodland Confederacy

Artist Info

Teaching Artist

Teaching Settings:

  • Afterschool Program
  • Arts and Cultural Center / Venue
  • Community Site / Center

Ages Served:

  • Pre-Kindergarten-age
  • Elementary School-age
  • Middle School-age
  • High School-age
  • College-age
  • Adults
  • Seniors

Subject Areas:

  • Arts Integration - History and Social Science
  • Design
  • Visual/Crafts

Teaching Artist

Teaching Settings:

  • Afterschool Program
  • Arts and Cultural Center / Venue
  • Community Site / Center

Ages Served:

  • Pre-Kindergarten-age
  • Elementary School-age
  • Middle School-age
  • High School-age
  • College-age
  • Adults
  • Seniors

Subject Areas:

  • Arts Integration - History and Social Science
  • Design
  • Visual/Crafts