by Mona Gallagher

Created on: December 29, 2007   Last Updated: December 30, 2007

The Cherokee Phoenix Rises

Suspects:

John Marbly
Denny Chota
Ben Balew
Sarah Mitchell

New Echota was teeming with activity two months ago. That was the day the printing press and the specially made print arrived at the station. Who would have thought that by 1826, the Cherokee would have their own newspaper written in their own language?

Sequoyah had already moved west by the time his language system spread through the Cherokee Nation, but even after inventing a Cherokee language system, George Gist, known by his Cherokee name of "Sikwo-yi", still spoke very little English. (Sikwo-yi is Cherokee for "pig's foot")

Sequoyah was a silversmith by trade, and had been raised by his Cherokee side of the family. By the time the printing press was ordered, half the Cherokees in Georgia and North Carolina knew how to read and write in the Cherokee language. They were literate, but not in the colonists language.

"Looks like Sequoyah is going to be famous," John Marbly said to no one in particular. "No one else in history has ever single handedly invented a system of writing."

"Not bad for an illiterate Cherokee who can't read or write English," Denny Chota laughed as he walked up behind him.

Marbly glanced sideways at Denny and said slyly, "I know you're not looking forward to having this press in town."

Denny laughed and said, "How would you know that John? You only know things that involve money. You don't know about the beliefs we've held for years. Sequoyah's a good man. He's just misguided."

Denny Chota was a mixed blood Cherokee who spoke the native language and English. He was against the printing press because he'd been convinced that this kind of thing was all right for the colonists but it violated his deep beliefs. It was believed to be the devil's work.

Sarah Mitchell approached her Uncle John as Denny finished speaking.

"Uncle John, I was hoping you could come for lunch today," she said, "We forgot to discuss one or two things concerning the classroom reorganization." Sarah was the local schoolteacher.

Both men tipped their hats to Sarah and she and her Uncle proceeded to her home for lunch.

The wagon hauling the printing press was due to arrive by early afternoon, but it was after suppertime and no wagon had arrived. This wasn't a cause for alarm, because although the roads in the area were decent, mishaps like broken wagon wheels still occurred and dangerous high water crossings had to be taken into consideration.

Ben Balew was the driver hired to bring the printing press

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