OCR Text |
Show CHEROKEES PLAN -HISTORICJPAGEANT To Commemorate Invention of Indian Alphabet TAHI-EQtTAH. Okla., Jan. 31. KarJy history of the Cherokee Indians Is to be depleted In a pageant given here the first week In June in commemoration com-memoration of the Invention of (Sequoyah's (Se-quoyah's alphabet, presented to hie people 100 years ago. Cherokeea and descendants of missionaries who worked among the Indians before and after the migration to Oklahoma ara to take part. The Idea of the pageant has been In process of development several years by Profeeaor J. W. Hcrogga of the extension deportment of the University Uni-versity of Oklahoma, who came to Oklahoma forty-two years ago ss a teacher of the red men. Final plana were worked out in Oklahoma City at a conference between faculty members mem-bers of the unlverely. descendants of the old Cherokee tribesmen and membra mem-bra of the state historical society. It waa decided to ask the state legislature, now in session, for funds to defray expenses of the pageant. Details of tha psgeant have not been announced. Working without knowledge of tha English language, 8equoyAh waa an old man whMi, at-the end of twenty years of labor, he gave to his tribesmen tribes-men an alphabet. In two years the Cherokee were raised from virtual Illiteracy to a degree of education, and Sequoyah's achievement haa been heralded as one of the greatest forward for-ward steps in the history of the American Indian. Hailed as a "craxy Indian." Sequoyah persevered and finally reached his goal by forming a character representing each of the eighty-five syllables of hie language. |