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About The Chemawa American (Chemawa, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 8, 1928)
THE CHEMAWA AMERICAN PAGE 4 SEQUOYAH (Continued from page 1) of his “talking leaf” by having his little seven- or eight-year-old daughter, Little Bird, and his wife read and write his language. He sent Little Bird twenty miles away to another tribal town. He had the young men send her messages. He wrote as they directed. Little Bird read and returned the desired answers. The young men no longer doubted, but feared that Sequoyah was a conjurer. The news of his feat spread from camp to camp, village to village, and clan to clan. His home now became the center of learning for his people and within a period of less than two years this tribe of Indians called savages rose from a condition of “illiteracy to one of culture, unaided save by one man.” There was not a boy or girl above twelve years of age, a man or woman of the tribe who was unable to write accurately the Cherokee language. The abuse of the Cherokee turned to praise and the “Crazy Sequoyah” became the first man of his race. His fame spread over the United States and to far away Paris and Vienna. On February 28, 1828, occurred the strangest fact in the history of American journalism: The Cherokee started the publication of a weekly paper in the heart of the forest, and named it “The Phoenix,” which means “risen from the ashes.” It was certainly a rebirth for the Cherokees. They did not stop with the printing of the paper, but later printed hymns, prayers, stories, gospels, and before they were driven from Georgia ten years later they had turned out five- hundred thousand articles from their press in the Cherokee language. When they left Georgia they took their type with them and a few years later began the publication of ‘ ‘The Cherokee Advocate. ’ ’ Although four thousand of their number had been killed or had died on the way from Georgia, they went to work with bulldog tenacity to build homes and establish a government. Schools were built in every community and seventy cents of every dollar belonging to the tribe were spent on education. Two schools for higher training were built. These schools were modern in every respect in their days. The products of these schools are: A United States Senator, members of congress and leg islature, judges, doctors, lawyers, and a controlling fac tor in the public life of the Central West. This was the fruit of the labor of Sequoyah. Only the strategy of national politics in Washington prevented the name of Sequoyah from being applied to the State of Okla homa. Sequoyah taught the Cherokees west of the Missis sippi to read and write and returned from that mission in 1822. He was the first American to receive a lit erary pension. This was provided for in the treaty with the Cherokees made in 1828. During this year he sat for the only portrait of him in existence. In 1843 he started to the far west to carry the alphabet of a written language. He was tall, with classic Greek features, and some seventy-five years of age, when he started on his last journey. With him was a seven teen-year-old boy. They were traveling in a two wheeled single drawn ox cart. He had set out for the tribes of Arizona and New Mexico. Some of these tribes heard that the “wise man of the Cherokees” was coming and sent delegations many miles east to meet him. After months in Arizona and New Mexi co he started farther west. This was the last that was ever heard of him. A reward was offered for trace of him but none was ever found. It seems just and appropriate that the giant trees of California should bear the name of Sequoyah, general ly conceded to be the greatest of American Indians on the continent and so long as the trees stand and writing is preserved the name of Sequoyah shall not go un sung. HONOR BOLL Following is a list of honor students for the month of January: Seniors William Markishtum, Raymond Jones, George Johnson, Cecil Stagner, Rose Smith and Margaret Maupin. Juniors Cleo Plasteur, Ethel Davis, Frances Culbertson, Vina Smith, Archie Demmert, Russell Hayward, John Frenier, George Meachem, Earl Crofoot and Ronald Leask. Sophomores Eldred George, Robert Hall, Joe Matt, Charles Morgan, Aaron Sookum, Eula Hudson and Irene Walker. Freshmen Ivy Sanderson, Anna Jackson, Alice Mae Clark, Rosemond Ecoffey, Inez Lobdell and Fred Sandberg. Eighth Grade George Littlelight, George Weeks, Myrtle Rinehart, Agnes Scott, Josephine Hughes, Flora McAuley, Christine Muller, Fannie Shurlock, Jasper Anthanum, James Monteau and Hans Jack. Seventh Grade Harold Lewis, Ina Curtis, Idella Curtis, Lois Jenks, Edna Wesley and Elsie Balch.
