In 1821, Sequoyah, a Cherokee metalworker and inventor, introduced a writing system that he had been developing for more than a decade. His creation--the Cherokee syllabary--helped his people learn to read and write within five years and became a principal part of their identity. This groundbreaking study traces the creation, dissemination, and evolution of Sequoyah's syllabary from script to print to digital forms. Breaking with conventional understanding, author Ellen Cushman shows that the syllabary was not based on alphabetic writing, as is often thought, but rather on Cherokee syllables and, more importantly, on Cherokee meanings.

Reviews

"In this timely, vital work, Ellen Cushman shares a parable of indigenous ingenuity and adaptability that affirms Cherokee literacy as a central pillar in the tribe's will to flourish as a people. She persuasively argues that Sequoyah's writing system performs a primary role in Cherokee language, religion, land, and sacred history. This powerful book will reshape Cherokee studies as we know them." ?Sean Kicummah Teuton, author of "Red Land, Red Power: Grounding Knowledge in the American Indian Novel"