Tom Allard: Storytelling and the Cherokee Nation

Tom Allard, a charter member of the artists’ ensemble at Native Voices, Poly’s resident storyteller and a Shawnee Cherokee, wowed the Poly community at the GIP The Ripple Effect and Native Voices event on Oct 21st with his story of Sequoyah, a Native American polymath of the Cherokee Nation.

Allard explained that, born in around 1770 in what is now Tennessee, Sequoyah was named for the horses he tended. Later, he ended up living in Alabama where he fought with the Cherokee Regiment against the “Red Sticks,” who included Creek and other downstream factions. At some point, Sequoyah became aware of the use of written language by the whites, and set about creating a visual language for the Cherokee. It was initially mistrusted as a form of witchcraft. Sequoyah’s own wife was fearful and even burned some of his early work. But as Sequoyah eventually settled on creating symbols for each syllable in the Cherokee language, he was able to teach it to his young daughter and, with her help, convince others of its usefulness. After traveling to different Cherokees groups, Sequoyah persuaded others to learn the language type and its use spread rapidly. The Cherokee Nation adopted Sequoyah’s writing system. A Cherokee newspaper, The Cherokee Phoenix, was created in 1828 that ran columns in both Cherokee and English.

Sequoyah’s 86 symbols representing Cherokee phonetics had a vast ripple effect across the world, inspiring 23 written Native languages in places as far as Africa and China. His work unleashed the power of literacy and the written word to vast numbers of people, and preserved the insights and experiences of Native people.

Mr. Allard also spoke about his passion for story-telling, and his interest in amplifying Sequoyah’s story which is not well-known. Allard also explained the importance of oral tradition and its purpose in creating a sense of community, and discussed why its preservation is so important.

Overall, Tom Allard's storytelling and Q&A with the Poly community not only illuminated the power of oral tradition and the written language, but the value of heritage. Through his inspiring connection to his story, Mr. Allard helped me gain a more wholesome understanding of history between the colonial forces and the Cherokee nation. Furthering the entire community's appreciation for this year's Ripple Effect theme, Mr. Allard gave a strong voice to the Cherokee tale of Sequoyah and highlighted the importance of the legacy.