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A silversmith with no formal education changed history forever. In the 1820s, one man gave an entire nation the power to read and write in their own language. What happened next stunned the world. The Cherokee achieved something that seemed impossible at the time.

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Cherokee alphabet by Sequoyah (1770–1843) via the New York Public Library. It's interesting to note that Sequoyah could not read English before he made this alphabet for the Cherokee language in the early 1820s.

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Sequoyah

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Letter transmitted by P.M. Butler, the Indian Agent for the Cherokees, to T. Hartley Crawford, the Commissioner of Indian Affairs, relaying the message of Se-quo-yah's death.

Record Group 75: Records of the Bureau of Indian AffairsSeries: Letters Received

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Sequoyah

Artist: Henry Inman (American, 1801-1846) After: Charles Bird King (American, 1785-1862)

Sitter: Sequoyah, c. 1770 - Aug 1843

Date: c. 1830

Medium: Oil on canvas

Collection: National Portrait Gallery, Washington, DC, United States

Description

Born in the Cherokee town of Tuskegee, eastern Tennessee, Sequoyah, the son of a Cherokee woman and a fur trader from Virginia, was a warrior, hunter, and silversmith. For twelve years, he worked to devise a method of writing for the Cherokee language. His syllabary, which ultimately included eighty-six symbols representing each of the language’s syllables, was approved by the Cherokee chiefs in 1825. The system made possible a rapid spread of literacy throughout the Cherokee Nation and the creation of written documents, including a constitution in 1827. The following year, the Cherokee Phoenix, a weekly bilingual newspaper, began publication in New Echota, Georgia.

With how busy life gets, sometimes it is hard to make time to visit museums. But I want to change that by visiting as many as I can, starting with the Sequoyah Birthplace Musuem. It is a museum that will stay with the visitor far after they have stepped foot onto the site. The Sequoyah Birthplace Museum in Vonore, Tennessee is a one of a kind museum, in my opinion, and if you haven't made the trip yet, then let me tell you it is worth it!

My sister and I visited the museum during the last week of February, and I can honestly say the exhibit was so thoughtfully designed. Sound design, mannequins, and the lighting as you walk around immersed you not only into the history and story the museum is presenting, but the importance of keeping this history in the hands of those telling it: the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. Instead of an institution telling their story without their input, the Cherokee people are telling their own story, on their own land, and in their own voice. In the past, many museums built their collections by acquiring, or stealing, objects, remains, and cultural materials from Indigenous people, often with no consent. Many museums and exhibits have comtributed to the idea that Native Americans no longer exist on the land, making exhibits where people see the tribes in the past rather than in the now. The Sequoyah Birthplace Museum represents a fundamental inversion of that dynamic, where they have authority over their history and the interpretation of it.

The exhibit follows the life of Sequoyah, a Cherokee scholar and former solider who developed the syllabary for the Cherokee language. He is the only person to ever single handly develop a written langauge. What I didn't know was that it took years for him to develop it, that his wife and community doubted him, and that his daughter was eventually the reason why it was finished and put into use! Without her, then the syllabary may have had a different path forward. I didn't even know the tribe had their own newspaper and printing press until I visited. This shows through how the museum tells you this story. I am a sucker for immerisve exhibits and this museum does just that. Light filters through the exhibit space in a way that mimics sunlight coming through a forest canopy. Videos and language surronds you at a push of a button.

The Cherokee language is woven throughout the exhibit, showing you how the syllabary was formed, integrated, and used in day to day life. It is even in the lights! Nowhere was that clearer than watching my sister. She stopped at a display featuring the Cherokee syllabary, and unprompted, and started to sound out the characters, working through the alphabet on her own. That moment told me everything about how well the exhibit is designed, and just how important this is to share.

The museum exhibit may seem small, but it doesn't end there. Outside the museum building, a traditional Cherokee home stands on the grounds. It allows visitors to walk inside, see how they would have lived during that period of time. The beds, the tools, a blacksmithing area: it puts into perspective how people really lived. The museum continued to be immersive even outside the main building, as there were paths along the landscape. The museum offers classes on language, crafts, and more, but it also holds cultural events throughout the year, such as festivals or pow-wows. At the very back of the land, there is a burial mound where an archaeological investigation occurred.

All in all, this is a living museum, not just a static exhibit like other museums can be. While I was unable to participate in the classes or events, it continues to serve the memory of the man they tell the story of. Not only that, but they tie his story into how the Cherokee people have impacted American and world history. If you want to support an Indigenous ran museum in Tennessee, I wholeheartedly recommend this one. It is an eye opener when discussing Native American history, and it can be a wonderful, educational way to spend an afternoon. We were there for several hours going through the exhibit. They are open Monday through Saturday, 9:00 to 5:00, and Sundays from noon to 5:00, and more information is on their website: https://sequoyahmuseum.org/