Sequoyah - Notable Native Americans
Sequoyah is known for being one of the only individuals in human history to create a writing system for a language. He created the famous Cherokee syllabary, bringing literacy to a vast majority of his people in a very short time span in the 1820's. However, he is less well-known for his many other accomplishments. During his lifetime he was a hog farmer, trading post owner, silversmith, blacksmith, warrior, diplomat, among other things. He moved to Indian Territory in 1829, 9 years before the U.S. government forcibly removed the Cherokee Nation on the Trail of Tears to Oklahoma. Sequoyah spent his last years helping solidify the Early Cherokee Settlers (Western Cherokee) and the new coming arrivals (Eastern Cherokee), as well as trying to unify other various Cherokee groups who lived in surrounding areas. His last feat was to try to bring the Mexico Cherokees (who had fled there after the Texas Rangers attacked the Texas Cherokees and massacred 500 Cherokee people) back to Oklahoma, but died somewhere San Fernando de Rosas in Coahuila, Mexico .Sequoyah is arguably the most famous Cherokee of all, and was the ultimate patriot to his Cherokee people.
***Dedicated to our son Sequoyah Nighthawk, member of the Cherokee Nation
