The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1931-12-04

once taken up through the influence OF Takatoka
(Da-gata'ga), a great chief who had previously
opposed every effort Of the missionaries to intro
duce their own schools and religion. The next
year, 1923, Sequoyah took up his permanent
home with the western land, never afterward
returning to his eastern kinsmen. In the autumn
of 1923 the Cherokee national council caused
silver medal with commemorative inscription
in both languages to be struck and presented to
him. and this he always wore suspended around
his neck.
The first Bible translation into the Cherokee
language was a portion Of st. Johns gospel
made by Atsi or John Arch, young native
convert, in the fall of 1924, using the alphabet
In September, 1926, David Brown, a prominent
half-breed preacher, completed a translation
of the New Testament in the alphabet, the
work being handed about in manuscript as
there were as yet no types cast in the Sequoyah
character
In 1927 the Cherokee council resolved to es-
tablish a national paper in the Cherokee lam
guage and characters, types for that purpose
were cast in Boston under the supervision of
the noted missionary, Worcester, of the Amer
lean board of commissioners for foreign mis-
sions Early the next year the press and types
arrived at New Echota and the first number
Of the new paper Tsa-lago Tsu1ehisanunhi, the
Cherokee Phoenix, printed in both languages, ap-
peared on February q, 1923.
After precarious existence Of about six years
the Phoenix was suspended owing to the hostile
action of the Georgia authorities Its successor,
after the removal of the Cherokees to the West,
was the Cherokee Advocate of which the first
number appeared at Tahequah, 1. T., in 1874,
with William P. Ross as editor 1t was continued
under the auspices Of the nation in both lam
guages and distributed free at the expense Of
the nation to those unable to read English-an
example without parallel in governments
In 1910 the Cherokees all moved West and
reuniting with the Old Settlers, as the Arkan-
sas band was called, the nation was reorganized
and Tahlequah was designated as the seat OF
government, taking its name from the old
Cherokee town Of Taikwa, or Tellico. in Ten
nessee. In this reorganization Sequoyah played
prominent part, but other things were in his
mind Uppermost, was the idea of inventing q
universal Indian alphabet. To this end in 1S41
and 1912 he made visits to remote Indian tribes,
making linguistic Investigations and was every
where received with kindness.
There was an old tradition of lost band Of
Cherokees who were believed to be somewhere
in the far Southwest. In the hope Of verify
ing this tradition and restoring his lost kins-
men to their tribe, Sequoyah set out in 1S43
with his son and another companion, two ponies,
a team of oxen and wagon loaded with pro-
visions and supplies.
Somewhere near the village Of San Fernando,
Mexico, the ponies were either stolen or wan
dered away and the old man went out alone to
find them When his companions went out to
see what had become of Sequoyah they found
him dead His body was wrapped up with such
of his writings as he had with him and with
other mementos of his great life he had along
with him, as is the Indian custom. They put
the body on a shelf in a small cave where moth
ing could disturb it. They said they marked
the place so they could find 1t, but the men
sent on from Indian Territory to bring the body
home returned empty handed. They failed to
find the place.
So an unmarked grave in Old Mexico holds
the dust of one of the greatest Indians who eve
ived-Sequoyah, the Cherokee Cadmus," wh'
gave his people written language
&c by Western Newspaper Union.)