Sequoyah: Leader of the Cherokees(1956)

Robert Leckie

SEQUOYAH (c. 1770–1840), named in English 'George Gist' or 'George Guess', was a Cherokee silversmith. In 1821 he completed his independent creation of a Cherokee syllabary, making reading and in Cherokee possible. This was the only time in recorded history that a member of a non-literate people independently created an effective writing system. After seeing its worth, the people of the Cherokee Nation rapidly began to use his syllabary and officially adopted it in 1825. Thier literacy rate quickly surpassed that of surrounding European-American settlers. Sequoyah's heroic status has led to several competing accounts of his life that are speculative, contradictory, or fabricated. heir literacy rate quickly surpassed that of surrounding European-American settlers. Sequoyah's heroic status has led to several competing accounts of his life that are speculative, contradictory, or fabricated. His mother, Wut-teh, was known to be Cherokee, belonging to the Red Paint Clan. Mooney stated that she was the niece of a Cherokee chief. McKinney and Hall noted that she was a niece of chiefs who have been identified as the brothers Old Tassel and Doublehead. Since John Watts (also known as Young Tassel) was a nephew of the two chiefs, it is likely that Wut-teh and John Watts were siblings. Sources differ as to the identity of Sequoyah's father. Mooney and others suggested that he was possibly a fur trader, who would have been a man of some social status and financial backing Grant Foreman identified him as Nathaniel Gist, who later became a commissioned officer with the Continental Army associated withGeorge Washington. Josiah C. Nott claimed he was the "son of a Scotchman". In one Cherokee source, his father is said to be a half-blood and his grandfather a white man - Wikipedia....Fascinating and engrossing biography of this Cherokee leader, based on known accounts and written especially for young people. Text illustrations (some full page) by Bob Riger.