Can Peace be Purchased?

TL;DR

Peace medals were given by European and American rulers to Native American tribal members and leaders as symbols of allegiance, but also served as status symbols and symbols of wealth and leadership.

Transcript

This episode is brought to you by a collaboration with the Denver Museum of Nature and Sicence and the Field Museum in Chicago, Illinois. Museum collections like those at the Field preserve physical knowledge, but often, these collections can lead to more questions than answers. At least that�s the case when it comes to Peace Medals. Peace Medals a... Read More

Key Insights

• ✌️ Peace medals served as tokens of allegiance, friendship, and peace between European and American rulers and Native American tribes.
• ☮️ Over time, peace medals gained additional symbolism as status symbols, symbols of wealth, and leadership within Native American communities.
• ✌️ The design and symbolism of peace medals evolved, reflecting changing political landscapes and societal attitudes towards Native Americans.
• ✌️ Native American leaders had varying perspectives on peace medals, with some valuing them as prestigious items and others questioning their appropriateness and cultural assumptions.
• 😌 The significance of peace medals today lies in their representation of the complex and often fraught relationships between Europeans and Native Americans throughout history.
• ✌️ The repatriation of peace medals to Native American tribes would require legal processes and proof of cultural significance.

Questions & Answers

Q: What purpose did peace medals serve when they were given to Native American tribal members?

Peace medals were intended as gifts between governments and were tokens of allegiance, loyalty, thanks for negotiations, and treaty signings. However, they also came to represent status, wealth, and leadership within Native American communities.

Q: How did Native American leaders perceive peace medals?

Native American leaders had mixed reactions to peace medals. While some saw them as prestigious items, others questioned their appropriateness and cultural assumptions. Similar to today, gift-giving can sometimes miss the mark and not be accepted by the recipient.

Q: Did the design and symbolism of peace medals change over time?

Yes, the design and symbolism of peace medals evolved over time. The early peace medals, like the one from George Washington, had a simple design with Native Americans depicted on one side and the crest of the United States on the other. Later designs, like the one from Abraham Lincoln, incorporated more complex symbolism, reflecting Euro-American dominance and encroachment on Native American territories.

Q: What significance do peace medals hold in the context of European-Native American relationships?

Peace medals are viewed as material symbols of the turbulent relationship between Europeans and Native Americans. They represent both the repression experienced by Native Americans and the attempts by human beings to establish relationships and smoother interactions between diverse groups.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Peace medals were given between the mid-1700s and early 1900s as tokens of allegiance between European and American rulers and Native American tribes.

• Peace medals were not only symbols of friendship and peace but also gained status as prestigious symbols, symbols of wealth, and leadership among Native American communities.

• Each president from George Washington to Benjamin Harris had peace medals made, with the design and symbolism changing over time.