Sequoyah, or ᏍᏏᏉᏯ in Cherokee, is a well-known figure in Native American history and perhaps the most famous Cherokee. Born in the early 1770s, Sequoyah lived his early life in the southeastern corner of modern-day Tennessee.
In 1821, Sequoyah unveiled his Cherokee syllabary to the world. After some struggle and a lot of language lessons, the Cherokee nation adopted this language system as its official writing script. Almost overnight, the population of the varied Cherokee lands became literate in this innovative and unifying language. If we know all of this, why are we Searching for Sequoyah?
His later life is poorly documented and a plethora of myths both from the Cherokee and the white man have muddied the facts about Sequoyah’s life. Searching for Sequoyah seeks to use history and archeology to help divide fact from fiction and properly biologize the man behind the syllabary.
Sequoyah has risen to legendary status even among non-natives in America. The pictures we have of him are actually creative depictions using a model dressed like a typical Cherokee man of Sequoyah’s generation, and most of those are copies and reproductions at that. Most of what we are taught about him in school is a myth.
Never before or since has anyone created a syllabary on their own and in one lifetime, so in many ways, Sequoyah deserves much of the praise heaped upon him. More complications arise in studying Sequoyah as each different group of Cherokee has different stories and interpretations of Sequoyah’s life and struggles: Some are unabashed in their praise of the hero, while others view him as a troublemaker with a good idea.
The final segment of this film posits that Sequoyah’s final resting place may be in Mexico, as towards the end of his life he was seeking out relatives of the Cherokee people in an effort to convince them to unify with the greater Cherokee nation.
Hundreds of other interesting and groundbreaking historical tidbits are encapsulated in this hour-long documentary. Searching for Sequoyah is an excellent choice for Native historians and linguists or any patrons and students looking to learn about Sequoyah’s life and works. Highly Recommended.
Where does this title belong on public library shelves?
Educational and historical documentary sections would benefit from the addition of Searching for Sequoyah.
What type of film series could use this title?
Searching for Sequoyah would be excellent in a film series about the Cherokee language and culture, Native history, and biography.
Is this documentary available for Public Performance Rights?
Educational institutions now have several purchase options for limited (via Vimeo), or "in-perpetuity" PPR Streaming Licenses, with or without the 2-Disc Blu-Ray set. The "in-perpetuity" license includes a digital copy of the program with permission to host and stream the program from your institution’s internal server for faculty, staff and student access, or it can be hosted on any third-party streaming platform that is password protected and not downloadable. These licenses are only available through Turtle Island Productions, LLC at https://turtle-island.com/product/searching-for-sequoyah.
The 2-Disc Blu-Ray set is also available as a stand-alone purchase with PPR limited to "in-class" curricula presentations or library check-out. Disc 1 includes the 57-minute PBS broadcast version and the longer 62-minute film festival version. Disc 2 includes the film festival version with Spanish subtitles and five bonus scenes that were not included in the original film. The Blu-Ray set is also available for personal home video purchase at a much lower price. There will be a sliding scale for Native American and First Nation institutions and non-profits operating on limited budgets. For more details contact james_fortier@live.com.
Searching for Sequoyah is a collaboration of James M Fortier (Ojibway) Producer/Director, LeAnne Howe (Choctaw) Writer/Producer, and Joshua B. Nelson (Cherokee Nation) Co-Producer/Narrator.
Filmmakers’ Statement
We felt an enormous privilege and honor to take on the task of telling the story of Sequoyah's remarkable genius, the legacy he left for Cherokee people, and the mystery of his death and final resting place. But, we also soon felt a great sense of responsibility to piece together Sequoyah’s story as accurately as possible from a variety of sources that don't always agree with one another. By opening ourselves to listen to what people had to say, from the Cherokee homelands in the east, to the contemporary nations in Tahlequah, and down to Coahuila, Mexico, we were astounded not only at the incredible reach of Sequoyah's life and work, but also at the hospitality we enjoyed at every stop. While there is still much to research about Sequoyah’s final days, we feel our film is a good start. Wado, and we hope you enjoy the program!
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Searching for Sequoyah crew wrapping production in Oklahoma
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Cherokee Heritage Center in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. Blake Brown, Production Assistant
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Director James Fortier filming in El Nacimiento in Coahuila, Mexico
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Production in Morelos, Mexico
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