Prior to colonization, more than 300 diverse languages were spoken by Native Americans in what is now called the United States.

 

In 1809, a Cherokee man named Sequoyah began working on a writing system for his nation’s language. It was a monumental task, especially considering that he could not read or write in English or any other language. Twelve years later, he completed the Cherokee syllabary, an innovative writing system that is still used today.

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The Cherokee writing system is designed precisely for the sounds of the Cherokee language. Sequoyah’s syllabary contained 86 characters (later reduced to 85), which include characters composed of English, Greek and Hebrew letters, according to linguist Peter Unseth. The Cherokee is a co-official language alongside English in the Cherokee Nation.

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* https://www.history.com/news/cherokee-sequoyah-written-language

* https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/sequoyah-and-creation-cherokee-syllabary/