Sequoya

Sequoya

Sequoya made it possible for Cherokee Indians to read and write.

When Sequoya realized that white settlers could read and write, he longed for a way for the Cherokee to be able to read and write, too. So, for a while, he studied what the white settlers did and how they did it.

For many years, Sequoya worked on his alphabet, and a lot of vigorous, hard work went into it. When it was finally time to take his alphabet to tribal council, he had to convince them that his alphabet was effective. So, as a test, he brought in his daughter into council. He left the room and the girl got everything right. Sequoya’s hard work sufficiently won the battle for education.

Since Cherokee is a part of our heritage, we feel that Sequoya helped our ancestors to learn and get a better education. If it were not for him, our ancestors might not have made as may great accomplishments.