Jessica Crabtree

February 21, 1828: The first issue of the Cherokee Phoenix is published in Georgia.

The Cherokee Phoenix was the first newspaper written and published by Native Americans. Established by Elias Boudinot, a prominent member of the Cherokee nation, it addressed topics such as cultural assimilation, tribal politics, and the US government’s removal policies.

The paper was printed in both English and Cherokee, thanks to the syllabary developed by Sequoyah in 1821 that enabled a written form of the Cherokee language. This innovation proved to be an invaluable communications tool for the Cherokee.

The Phoenix quickly developed a broad subscription base and became a powerful voice representing the Cherokee to the early American media, and keeping Cherokee across the Southeast up to date on pivotal issues. It is still in print today by the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma. You can view it online at www.cherokeephoenix.org.

More on Sequoyah (aka George Guess), inventor of the Cherokee syllabary:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sequoyah

See also:

Archaeology.com – “Sequoyah Was Here”