SEQUOYAH, Okla. (AP) - Though much of the life of the gifted linguist Sequoyah is unknown today, certain information has been gathered by historians through the years. Much of it was acquired through oral accounts of family members or other individuals who knew the blacksmith. No matter the source, all agree that his development of the written Cherokee language was a remarkable accomplishment.
The Muskogee Phoenix (bit.ly/1OdhVtF ) reports that family accounts say that Sequoyah was born in what is today Monroe County, Tenn., but the exact date is left to speculation. His mother was a full-blood Cherokee named Wurteh Watts. She was of the Red Paint Clan and part of a prominent Cherokee family. His father is believed to be Nathaniel Gist. Sequoyah’s English name has been found in different documents as George Gist, Guess or Guest.
Oral tradition tells us that Sequoyah first developed an interest in creating a written form of the Cherokee language in 1809. A group of friends had gathered in his blacksmith shop in Tennessee and were discussing the “talking leaves” of their neighbors. Some were of the opinion that communication by paper was “witchcraft,” but Sequoyah understood the concept of written language. He set out to create such a thing for the Cherokee language.
He toiled at this project for 12 years. During these years, he served in the military, married Sally Waters of the Bird Clan and had a daughter named Ayoka.
At first Sequoyah tried to develop a symbol for every Cherokee word, but it became quickly evident that this would be too massive an undertaking. He then identified the 85 syllables in the Cherokee language and created a symbol for each one.
He borrowed symbols from every alphabet he could find, copying some from the Waters family Bible. Other symbols he simply created himself. His brother-in-law, Michael Waters, was an early student, but it was his daughter Ayoka who quickly learned to use the developing language system.
Sequoyah was not without his detractors. Many who knew about his efforts believed he was dabbling in witchcraft. It is said that his wife burned his early writing attempts. But he carried on and when questioned by Cherokee government officials, he was able to demonstrate how his writing worked with the help of Ayoka.
Even after moving with other Cherokees to Arkansas sometime before 1820, Sequoyah continued to perfect the syllabary. He returned east in 1821 and demonstrated his final effort. Thus, the year 1821 is considered to be the date for the completion of the Cherokee syllabary. This makes it 195 years old in 2016.
Within a very short time, most of both the eastern and western Cherokees were able to read and write in their own language. Missionary Samuel Worcester sent the syllabary to a printer in Boston to have the symbols cast for type. Soon the Cherokees became the first American Indian tribe to print their own newspaper, the Cherokee Phoenix.
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Information from: Muskogee Phoenix, https://www.muskogeephoenix.com
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