( also Sequoya ) ( c. 1765–1843)
a Cherokee Native American who created an alphabet of 86 syllables for his people’s language in the early 19th century. He is the only person known to have invented a whole alphabet. The Cherokees used it to communicate in writing, and he also recorded their history. Sequoyah had a Cherokee mother and European father. The sequoia tree is named after him.
See also redwood .