the Indians thought of all objects, material as well as living (stones as well as beavers), as possessed of some spiritual power, which the Algonquian speakers called manitou. Detecting manitou concentrated in especially bright and shiny objects, the northeastern Indians traditionally cherished copper ornaments brought from Lake Superior or polished seashell beads, known as wampum, from Long Island Sound. They discerned the same beauty and spiritual power in the colorful glass beads and shiny metals brought by European mariners and traders.
