A special issue of the Journal of Early American History includes a series of articles about the Two Row Wampum Belt, which represents a 400-year-old treaty between the Iroquois and the Dutch.

Scholars say the agreement is legitimate. The Onondaga Nation, among others, has a long oral tradition of the treaty.

But a written version known as the Treaty of Tawagonshi is fake, according to the scholars. And it's likely the actual agreement wasn't negotiated until 1621 at the earliest, they say.

"But as supporters of the Two Row Wampum Renewal Campaign have pointed out, the legitimacy of the treaty tradition does not rest on the authenticity of the document alone," two scholars wrote in the special issue, which is available online for free.

Regardless of the debate, the Onondaga Nation is celebrating the 400th anniversary of the treaty with a canoe trip down the Hudson River. The rowers are due to arrive in New York City on August 9 and a festival will be held on August 10.

Get the Story:
Two Row Wampum agreement is real even though written treaty is fake, Journal of Early American History says in special issue (The Syracuse Post-Standard 7/24)

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Onondaga Nation to celebrate 400th anniversary of 1613 treaty (8/9)