Knowra Cherokee language Cherokee language Cherokee is an Indigenous language of the Iroquoian family, traditionally spoken by the Cherokee people. Its writing system uses a syllabary created by Sequoyah.
Cherokee syllabary : A writing system created by Sequoyah in which each character represents a Cherokee syllable. Its characters let Cherokee be written without an alphabet of individual consonants and vowels.
Cherokee Nation : A federally recognized Cherokee tribal government headquartered in northeastern Oklahoma. Its language programs support Cherokee classes, materials, and community use.
Cherokee history : The history of Cherokee communities, governance, displacement, and cultural life in North America. Cherokee language history is inseparable from the communities that have spoken and maintained it.
English language : A West Germanic language that is the dominant language of the United States and several other countries. English contact and dominance affect Cherokee use, while its grammar and writing system differ substantially.
Sequoyah : A Cherokee silversmith who created the Cherokee syllabary in the early nineteenth century. His syllabary transformed Cherokee literacy and remains central to the language’s written form.
Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians : A federally recognized Cherokee tribe based in western North Carolina. Its language initiatives sustain Cherokee in communities around the Qualla Boundary.
Cherokee syllabary history : The creation, adoption, and spread of the Cherokee writing system during the nineteenth century. Its rapid adoption made literacy possible without requiring Cherokee speakers to use English spelling.
Kanien’kéha : An Iroquoian language spoken by Mohawk communities in Canada and the United States. It is a related Iroquoian language, but not a dialect or branch of Cherokee.
Iroquoian languages : A family of Indigenous languages of eastern North America, including Cherokee and several northern languages. Cherokee belongs to this family, though it is geographically separated from most other Iroquoian languages.
Cherokee language immersion : An educational approach that teaches subjects through Cherokee to build language fluency. Immersion makes Cherokee a medium for learning and daily interaction, not only a school subject.
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