Thundersticks and Trade

In the 17th century, Dutch firearms reached the world of the Haudenosaunee: the confederacy of Iroquoian-speaking Indigenous peoples in the Great Lakes region of North America.

This book shows that these weapons were not only valued for practical or military purposes, but also found a place within a rich spiritual and cultural universe. Drawing on historical sources, archaeological finds and oral traditions, the authors explain how European objects were incorporated into existing ideas about nature, power and mythology. The publication sheds new light on the encounter between European traders and the Haudenosaunee, and examines the economic, material and spiritual meanings of firearms in early colonial North America. Offering a surprising and original perspective on cultural exchange, identity and the meaning of objects in a changing world, Thundersticks and Trade.Dutch Firearms and the Haudenosaunee is the third publication in a series of cahiers from Het Scheepvaartmuseum in Amsterdam.