Cherokee syllabary

In the early 1820s, Sequoyah, a member of the Cherokee Nation, completed his decade-long work on developing a syllabary—a set of symbols representing syllabic sounds—that enabled for the first time written communication in his native language. He believed that a writing system would empower his people, offering them improved educational opportunities and means of exchanging information.



It took several years for Sequoyah’s syllabary of 85 characters (originally 86) to gain widespread acceptance. It eventually made possible the printing of Cherokee texts, including the Cherokee Phoenix, the first bilingual newspaper in the United States and the first Native American newspaper. His pioneering linguistic effort ultimately helped to unite the Cherokee people, preserving their language and culture during a period of forced physical displacement and assimilation.