Adapting to change: The shift from traditional fishing to dendelium harvesting in South India

Moses Milton, a fisherman from Kareatan in South India, shares his story about his village’s shift from traditional fishing to harvesting dendelium from the Arabian Sea. Fifteen years ago, local fishermen began pulling dendelium, a type of marine product used in jewelry and clothing, and selling it to markets in the US and Canada. Moses explains the cleaning and sorting process of the dendelium, which involves several stages using water, hydrogen peroxide, and hot water with acid. He also reflects on how climate change has affected the sea, introducing dendelium into the ecosystem, and expresses uncertainty about its future.

Harvested in the Pacific and traded inland, dentalium shells have served Native peoples for millennia—as currency, as sacred items, and as powerful symbols of identity and status. “For the Love of Dentalium” is a series of stories honoring this remarkable tradition—its history, its beauty, and its continued meaning in Native communities today.

Read the full series and journey through the legacy of dentalium—one shell, one story at a time.