About this Book

Sequoyah, the most renowned Cherokee of all, was noted for the singular feat of inventing an alphabet for the native language of his people. His syllabary, though ultimately overwhelmed by the dominating English language, served as a valuable tool of written communication for many unschooled Cherokees of the nineteenth century. In this new look at the Cherokee intellect, the first scholarly biography of Sequoyah in many years, Stan Hoig shares new and important information about Sequoyah and explores his life against the broad backdrop of Cherokee history. In that context, he concludes that Sequoyah's invention may not have been his greatest achievement. The lesson of his life is that he gave a biased world "undeniable proof of Indian humanism and ability."