By most accounts, it’s a dying art.

Not the part of making jewelry (costume and semi-precious) by hand.   The part about making Native American jewelry from wampum by hand.

It is said that there are only a few craftsmen left in the county to continue the age-old tradition.

 Tradition is something dear to the heart of Domingo Talldog Monroe.

A proud member of the Narragansett Indian Tribe who traces his family roots back to Ninigret, Sachem of the Eastern Niantic Indian Tribe during colonial times, and staunch allies of the Narragansett Indian Tribe.

Ninigret was his great, great, …. Grandfather.

 Domingo was born in Providence and attended Central High School, along with his eight brothers and sisters.

At the age of 12 he decided that he wanted to be a boxer and a jewelry maker.

He became so proficient at boxing, that he won the Golden Gloves championship four times, and even won the Diamond Belt Championship in Massachusetts as an amateur.

The road to becoming an award-winning jewelry artist was no less dramatic.

It started in his grandfather’s shed when he was a young boy.

His grandfather made a piece of wampum jewelry for him that so captured his imagination that he went to a vocational school for jewelry making.

He credits the “great spirit” for “bestowing the gift” of wampum jewelry making upon him.

Wampum, for those not familiar, is made from the quahog clam shell.   The deep purple section of the shell is known as “sacki” which is double the value of the “wompi”, or white section.

Native Americans believe that anyone carrying wampum is a “passport to the spiritual world.”

Sitting for a cup of coffee at PB&J’s restaurant on West Shore Road in Warwick recently, we laughed at how over 20 years has slipped away since we last spoke.   It was a time that we worked together to try to create a Narragansett Indian Casino in West Warwick, which never came to pass.

He still has unparalleled affection for his beloved Tribe, and even served a term on the Tribal Council.

He’s kept busy over the years on an assortment of jobs, but always looks to his “gift from the Great Spirit” to spark his creative talents.

He also keeps busy with his seven children:  Domingo, Aaron, Denyel, Asquanna, Anea, Mina and Isabella.

Asked if he would ever retire from jewelry making, he just laughed and explained that as a matter of fact he planned to further expand his business that has been working out of a small building off West Shore Road in Warwick.

He further explained, “with the way the internet works today, there are a lot of people making money on jewelry.   Going back to when I was a child, there were only two things I wanted to do: be a famous jewelry maker and a famous boxer.  I’ll be making jewelry forever!”

With that in mind he is “thinking of expanding my abilities to a bigger audience and in that regard, I am working to create a new web page.   I also have plans for a new studio.”

He clearly defined what his niche will continue to be.  “When it comes to wampum, which is not only sacred to the Eastern Tribes, but to others as well.”   He explained “the Iroquois got the credit, but it was actually the Narragansetts, Pequots and Wampanoags, along with the New York Shinnecock, where the wampum was traded.”  “There are a lot of great jewelry makers in Indian County, but few make it with wampum.”

If you are wondering what kind of jewelry he makes, the products include earrings, necklaces, pins, rings, bracelets, cufflinks, and barrettes.   Asked what he sells the most of, he quickly answered “wampum earrings.”

As a recent meeting of tribes from throughout the county held at Foxwoods Casino in Connecticut which I happened to attend, I could see the steady business Domingo was doing at his booth, not only from the Tribal members that attended the conference, but also from people just passing through the area.

The prices for his works of art range from earrings that sell for about $20, to other products selling for $3,000.00 and up.

He explained that his prices are reflective of how difficult the piece is to make and what metals are used.

Having written about my friend Carolyn Rafaelian, founder of Alex and Ani, I couldn’t help but ask  Domingo if his jewelry has a spiritual context in a manner similar to how Carolyn had her Alex and Ani jewelry blessed by a Shaman?

Domingo answered, “my family tree on my father’s side is derived from the medicine side of the Narragansett Tribe, so my jewelry really comes from the heart and from the Great Spirit.”

He is still bullish about his Tribe, and is still active in Tribal affairs, but “not as pronounced.”

“The Tribe just put together a new gym, so I volunteer my time there, and am in the early stages of helping to build a boxing team.” 

He speaks with high praise of Narragansett Tribal Chief Dean Stanton.   He remarked “Dean is a reasonable, caring Chief.  He listens to what you have to say and has good ideas.”  “Community is on the horizon for the Tribe, with people working together.  That’s a powerful machine.  We can accomplish that with Dean.”

It you are curious about how he got the name “Talldog”, it’s not a mystery.

His father was “Littledog” and gave him the name.

Native Americans have a traditional name as well as their birth name.

The tribal name is actually given through a “Naming Ceremony” by the Tribal Council.

An approval that Domingo calls “our ways”.   He further explained, “its respect for our ways and traditions and culture.”

If you want to get in touch with Domingo while his new website is being developed, the best way is to simply email him at:  Domingo.Monroesr@Yahoo.com..