The Sequoyah Birthplace Museum

It’s one thing to learn to read and write. If you’re reading this, you obviously picked up the habit somewhere.
But it’s another thing entirely to create your own alphabet. If you’re crazy enough to think you can pull that off, try conceiving of an alphabet when you yourself aren’t even literate in another language first. Give up? Perhaps you can get some help from Sequoyah.
Sequoyah was the inventor of the Cherokee alphabet. Born about 1776 in the village of Tuskeegee to a Virginia fur trader and the daughter of a Cherokee chief, Sequoyah never attended school and could not read or write. Nonetheless, he was intrigued by white settlers who could “talk” on “leaves of paper.” After marrying a Cherokee, becoming a silversmith and fighting under General Andrew Jackson in the War of 1812, he returned home to produce the syllabary for which he is famous. Those interested in discovering more about Sequoyah would do well to visit the Sequoyah Birthplace Museum.
The museum opened in 1986 as both a tribute to Sequoyah himself and to the Native Americans who lived in the region. Set on 47.5 acres on Tellico Lake, the museum is owned and operated by the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indians. It is the state’s only tribally-owned attraction.
The museum tells the story of the Little Tennessee Valley. Visitors will trace the 8,000 years of the valley, beginning with its first inhabitants. Exhibits focus on Cherokee mythology, archaeology, the arrival of humans in the New World, and various historical periods, including the Paleo-Indian, Archaic, Woodland and Mississippian Periods. Others look at European contact with the Cherokee, the life of Sequoyah and the Trail of Tears.
The museum also includes a gift shop in which tourists can purchase contemporary Cherokee arts and crafts, toys, books on Cherokee history and more. Outside the museum stands the Cherokee Memorial. This marks the final resting place of the remains of 18th century Cherokees who were excavated in the area. The complex also includes an outdoor amphitheater, an open air pavilion and picnic tables.
The museum hosts a variety of events as well. Genealogy and Cherokee language classes are sometimes held at the museum. The annual Little River Music Festival in the summer brings blues, bluegrass and country music. The annual Great Island Festival in the fall gives visitors the chance to enjoy Native American food, music, dance, arts and crafts demonstrations, storytelling and more.
The museum is at 576 Highway 360, 43 miles southwest of Knoxville in Vonore, where Sequoyah was born (hence the museum’s name). The museum can be reached from Knoxville by driving south on Interstate 75, exiting on Tennessee State Highway 72 East and driving toward Vonore.
The museum stays open throughout the year, with the exception of Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. On Monday through Saturday, the museum is open from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday the facility is open from noon-5 p.m. Admission is $3 for adults, $1.50 for children age 6-12 and $2.50 for seniors 55 and older. Visit theSequoyah Birthplace Museum website or call 423-884-6246 for more information.

Attraction Details

Concessions	Gift Shop	Live Music	Rides	Cost	Age
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