Sequoyah dreamed of seeing reunification of the splintered Cherokee Nation. In the spring of 1842, he began a trip to locate other Cherokee bands who were believed to have fled to Mexico and attempted to persuade them to return to the Cherokee Nation, by then mostly residing in Indian Territory.

Sequoyah, creator of the Cherokee writing system. By 1821 he had created a system of 86 symbols, representing all the syllables of the Cherokee language. His name (spelled Sequoia) was given to the giant redwoods of the Pacific coast and the big trees of the Sierra Nevada range.

Inventor of the Cherokee syllabary, Sequoyah, also known as George Guess or Gist, was probably born in the late 1770s at Tuskegee, which now lies under Tellico Lake in Tennessee.

Sequoyah, a Cherokee innovator, developed a unique writing system for his people. This invention transformed the Cherokee into one of North America's most literate societies.

Sequoyah is perhaps best known for creating a written Cherokee language, but that is far from his only contribution to the history of his people’s culture and the culture of the United States as a whole.

Sequoyah was a famous and influential Cherokee Leader who is credited with inventing the Cherokee alphabet.

Sequoyah, Cherokee scholar, is the only known Native American to have created an alphabet for his tribe. This advance helped thousands of Cherokee to become literate (able to read and write).

Sequoyah, Cherokee scholar, is the only known Native American to have created an alphabet for his tribe. This advance helped thousands of Cherokee to become literate (able to read and write).

Searching for Sequoyah explores the mystery and legacy of the Cherokee genius George Guess, more commonly known as “Sequoyah,” who created a writing system for the Cherokee people in the early 1800’s.

Sequoyah, the son of a Cherokee chief’s daughter and a fur trader from Virginia, was a warrior, a linguist and, some say, a silversmith. For twelve years, he worked to devise a method of writing for the Cherokee language.