Cherokee Triumph

They may have lost their land, brothers, and freedom in the past, but in creating and using the Cherokee language for over 187 years, the Cherokee culture overcame and survived the American front. The Cherokee written language consists of 86 characters, each representing a certain syllable of the Cherokee spoken word. It was founded and established by Sequoyah, a native tribe member, after seeing and coming to know the White Man’s written speech. Existing still today are several main groups of Cherokees; one remaining in Oklahoma, an Eastern band, the United Keetoowah Band, and some peoples live along the West coast. There is a sum of 200 groups, bands, or peoples that fall under Cherokee title and continue practice traditional Cherokee customs (like that of the Cherokee language) in this day and age. By choosing to acculturate, rather than simply assimilate into American life, the Cherokee nation built a defense against American power that would supply them the chance of independence—remaining to be solely Cherokee amidst American society. Incorporating American mechanisms like media and government allowed for an intellectual upper-hand that set the Cherokee apart from the rest. Rather than improving war skills, the Cherokee could combat Americanism with Americanism, resulting in a stronger chance of their survival, culturally and physically. This upper-hand would not have manifested without the invention and establishment of the Cherokee written language. In supplying the Cherokee people with written language, each member was empowered to fight for an everlasting future, with Cherokee culture still intact.

Primary Sources

Boudinot, E. The Cherokee Phoenix, June 17, 1829, Editorial section, http://www.cerritos.edu/soliver/Student Activites/Trail of Tears/web/boudinot.htm

As the first editor of the first ever Native American newspaper, the “Cherokee Phoenix,” it was interesting to read and understand the trials of the Cherokee during the time before their removal to Oklahoma. Ultimately, the largest conflict for the Cherokee was battling the Indian Removal Act, as seen here, through the eyes of a native and intellectual, Elias Boudinot. Boudinot represented and helped to guide the literacy movement that followed the establishment of language.

Daryus, H. "The Complete Periodical Library." The Cherokee Phoenix and Indians' Advocate, May 14 25, 1834.

In researching the newspaper of the Cherokee, it was necessary to find an actual archive of their paper. Reading first hand of the issues and solutions-in-the-works for the Cherokees during the 1800’s was important in chronicling their rise to power against the American front.

Jackson, A. "To the Cherokee Tribe of Indians East of the Mississippi River." Macon Weekly Telegraph, April 09, 1835, IX section, 2 edition, http://www.teachushistory.org/indian-removal/resources/cherokee-tribe-indians-jackson (accessed March 20, 2012).

After learning of the Cherokee perspective, it was important to understand the perspective of the opposition: the Americans. Leading the Indian Removal Act after George Washington’s presidency, Andrew Jackson was successful in removing the majority of the Eastern Indian tribes to the West, namely the Cherokee. In this letter written, Jackson warns the Cherokee of their resulting demise if they continued to govern and live on the Eastern side.

Secondary Sources

Anderson, W. Encyclopedia of North Carolina. http://uncpress.unc.edu/nc_encyclopedia/cherokee.html (accessed April 22, 2012).

Anderson, a compiler of information for the North Carolina Encyclopedia, chronicled much of the history of the Cherokee. This source listed when, where, and why the Cherokee acculturated quicker than most. Anderson talks greatly of their successes in language and government as part of the Cherokee’s main reasons for surviving so long.

Diamond, Jared. Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, Inc., 1999. (accessed March23, 2012).

Although Diamond’s book focuses on the cultures of the entire world, Diamond mentions the efforts of Sequoyah and the rise of the Cherokee language. In his book, Diamond talks of how geographically cultures develop differently. He argues here that developing such a language early on helped to advance the Cherokee at different rates from their surrounding tribes.

Gnanadesikan, A. The Writing Revolution: Cuneiform to the Internet (The Language Library). Wiley-Blackwell, 2008. (accessed April 20, 2012).

In her book, Amalia Gnanadesikan writes of several languages devised by cultures like the Cherokee. She too touches on Seqouyah and his trials and triumph. She discusses how the language permeated the villages and became more popular in the schools and tribe as a whole.

Strickland, R. Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture. http://digital.library.okstate.edu/encyclopedia/entries/C/CH014.html (accessed March 23, 2012).

Strickland, like Anderson, compiled several sources to write of the Cherokee culture for the Oklahoma Encyclopedia. He follows the developments of the Cherokee in relation to their government and incredible literacy rates.