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Sequoyah
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Below you will see information about the EBCI in English, followed first by a Cherokee language translation and then a phonetic representation that will help you try to say the Cherokee words.
Nearly 13,000 enrolled members make up the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Nation.
nav:i tso?katu ikayv:li u:nowelv': anv:neho:i tikalv:kv' unataskv': ani:tlalaki:i
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We are descendants of those who hid during the Trail of Tears.
hiti ani:tsalaki anehno uni:tsoyilv': nvhno utih sokalv:nv u:tvh te:lenv':ta nakalih stih skv':i nelatu no:le tsoko:hih ska utih thih yv':ka
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A long time ago, our territory was over 135,000 miles...
tsike:sv': uloh svh sta skohih sta tso?kohih ska I:kayv':la athsi:lo':ta okiste:li akato: tsike:sv:ki
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But slowly, we lost our land.
ah sehno u:skohno:lahi':ke:sti oki:yohu:se:lv:ki kato:?i
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Unlike the native tribes out west...
Ke:sti wu:te:likv' ani:yv:wiya niyu:sta o:tsehe:?i
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We lived in homes made out of mud and wooden limbs.
Sawo:tha nole kanahsta u:tahsu:yata o:tsv:tih skv' oki:ne:la o:kinv:sv':?i
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Also, feathered headdresses are not a part of our heritage.
V:sti:hno skwu u:ki:talv' skwe:tu khele':?i
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Only after the arrival of the Europeans did we adopt the use of their clothing.
ani:yu:ne:ka uni:luhtsv' khi:lihno so:ya anawo:?i tsutale:nvhv':?i anv:tih skv':?i
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In 1821, Sequoyah created our written language.
Nelatu tha?lisko sokwo u:tehthiyv':ta sikwo:yi u:wu:ne:lv' o:kowe:lohtohti
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He made symbols for every sound in our language.
Nika':ta u:noh yvh kv' u:wv:ne:lv' koh we:lohti
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Eighty-five characters make up our syllabary.
Nehasko hihska i:ka':?i u:noh yvh kv' kvneho' ti:kalohkwa:stohti
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In school, years ago, our elders were not allowed to speak our native language.
E:ti:yv' tsv:telohkwah sti':yi ke:sti o:ki:tse:lv' ti:kayv:li uni:skolati:ske' u:niwo:ni:hehsti tsalaki
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But now, our schools are teaching our children to speak Cherokee.
Ahsehno no:kwo ke:hv' u:tole:kwahsti a:te:lohvh sko' ti:ni:yo':hli tsalaki u:ni:wo:ni:hehsti
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Today, over 68,000 acres make up our home.
No:kwo ke:hv' su:talahsko thsane:la i:ka:yalv' u:lohsvhsko u:thsi:lo':ta o:ki:nvhsv' ke:ho':?i
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We call our home Land of Blue Smoke.
Sah khonike' tsu:kahsvhstv' tsu:nv:tahsv' Aye:hli o:kinv:sv':?i ke:so:?i
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We invite you to visit and learn our Cherokee culture and heritage.
I:sti:yi:nahi tse:tah sti e:skani tskwi:sta o:kitv:ne:lv' nole o:ki:skwanikoh ti Tsate:lohkwahsti hita:watahihtohlv':?i
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Many thanks to Garfield Long of the EBCI Cultural Resources Department and
Eddie Bushyhead of the EBCI Cherokee Language Program for the translation.
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