The Cherokee Nation Syllabary

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Edward Hessler

Your invention of the alphabet is worth more to your people than two bags full of gold in the hands of every Cherokee.--Sam Houston


The Cherokee hero Sequoyah, created the first Cherokee syllabary in 1821. Syllabics are written characters that each represent a syllable allowing writing.

PRI reporter Eduardo Avila reports on the interplay of technology and the Cherokee language.  It includes a five-minute animation in which Sequoyah narrates (with English subtitles).

There is a history of Sequoyah and the Cherokee syllabary on the Cherokee Nation website.