SEQUOYA
(sih KOWY uh)
Sequoyah: "The Cadmus of America” 1776-1843
Sequoyah (George Gist), a Cherokee American Indian invented a system of writing for the Cherokee Nation. He has been called the "Cadmus of America". The giant sequoia trees and Sequoia National Park in California are named after him.
Sequoyah was born in 1776 near the town of Tuskegee, Tennessee, near Chote.
Sequoyah was a mixed breed Cherokee. His mother Wu-teh was a full blood Cherokee, the daughter of a Cherokee Chief. His father, Nathaniel Gist, was a Virginia fur trader, scout and soldier.
Sequoyah's family was highly respected by the Cherokee for its knowledge of tribal traditions and religion.
After fleeing the south, Sequoyah became an excellent painter and silversmith.
As an adult, he met many white people and became fascinated with their method of communicating by writing. Sequoyah set himself the task of inventing a system of writing for his own people, and he completed it in 1821 after twelve years of work. Sequoyah's chief aim was to record ancient tribal culture in a permanent form.
In 1824 he was given a medal of honor and a letter of recognition for his work on the Cherokee alphabet. When a printing press was made Sequoyah, with the help of Elisa Boudinot as Editor of a Cherokee newspaper created the first issue of "The Phoenix". This paper was printed, in both the Cherokee and English language. They even printed the Holy Bible in both languages, as well.
The Cherokee adopted his alphabet, which consisted of 86 symbols, and used his system to publish books and newspapers in the Cherokee language.
Thousands would learn to read and write for the first time in their own Cherokee language. He moved to Arkansas and decided to join Chief John Jolly.
Later, Sequoyah became interested in the general advancement of Indians. Because of his knowledge of the Cherokee alphabet, Sequoyah became a delegate from Arkansas to appeal the federal government and defend the lands and people from the advancement of settlers. He went to Washington, D.C., in 1828 as a representative of the Western Tribes.
After President Andrew Jackson gave the order for the removal to Indian Territory, the day would be marked the beginning to what is presently known, as "The Trail of Tears."
Sequoyah helped to settle bitter differences that arose among the Cherokee, after the U.S. government forced them to move to Indian Territory (now Oklahoma) in the 1830's. After the Cherokees had settled in their now territory, and had built their government, and begun to prosper, Sequoyah left his Oklahoma home, in the summer of 1842 for Texas and Mexico to help the Cherokee there.
Sequoyah died at the age of 73 years in Mexico, while searching for some lost Cherokee. He is buried in an unmarked, and unknown grave. A statue of Sequoyah represents Oklahoma in Statuary Hall in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C.
Sequoyah's home, near Sallisaw, Oklahoma, stands as a memorial to him.
THE CHEROKEE ALPHABET
http://joyce.eng.yale.edu/~joant/CherTabl.html