My Cowrie Shell Anklet                                                                                                                                                                                   
My immigration object is a cowrie anklet. The cowrie shell anklet was made with leather and cowrie shells (black leather.) It  is part of the African culture. Cowrie shells are used for wearing during dancing special occasions, but they were also used for currency. Each cowrie shells had a value of $1. 

Since I am doing an immigration study with my class, (my Mom, my sister, and I, are of African descent) I told my mom to help me choose an object that reflected by culture. My Mom’s cowrie shell anklet was a perfect fit that represented where we came from.  All this time, the anklet was in my mother’s dresser in a small, dusty crystal box. My mother proudly took it out and showed me the object. “This is a cowrie shell anklet,” she said, with a smile on her face. Then I remember saying, “Really?!” I loved the anklet the moment I set my eyes on it. I immigrated in 2006. I learned that my artifact came from South America. In addition, spiritually according to African legend, the general feeling is, if you are attracted to cowrie shells you could belong to a family of the ocean spirits of wealth, which is pretty cool.

– Miranda Bauer

Relationship:  Im/migrant Im/migrant