Wampum, small beads made from shells, were at the center of diplomacy in North America in the early 17th century. The exchange of strings and belts adorned with wampum were diplomatic tokens, gifts, and most notably, treaty markers between Indigenous peoples and Europeans. On this episode of cultureXchanges we speak with Darren Bonaparte, cultural historian from the Akwesasne First Nation and current director of the Tribal Historic Preservation Office of the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe. Episode Transcript Hello and welcome to cultureXchanges, a podcast at the intersection of the humanities and cultural diplomacy. I’m your host, Terry Harvey, Vice...

From Madonna’s “Vogue” to the film Paris is Burning, Ballroom has made tremendous impacts on popular culture through dance, fashion, language, television, and music in the United States and abroad. While the beginnings of the Ballroom scene are typically attributed to 1980s New York, the roots of this culture have been traced back to the 19th century. Ballroom historically served, and still serves, as a space for Black and Brown LGBTQ+ individuals to build community through pageantry, dance, fashion, and performance while facing exclusion and danger in other nightlife and community spaces. On this episode of cultureXchanges we speak...

The banjo is an instantly recognizable sound that has become synonymous with American folk music, a genre traditionally associated with white musicians. However, the banjo was originally created by enslaved Africans and their descendants in the Caribbean and North America, widely recognized as an African American tradition with a West African heritage. The banjo heard in American music is a distinct blend of West African and European cultures that widely differs from the West African banjo sound. On this episode of cultureXchanges, we speak with Kristina Gaddy to uncover the history of the banjo and how its sound has...