June 23, 2009 http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/23/science/23cherokee.html By JOHN NOBLE WILFORD (Quote from William Welge included) The illiterate Cherokee known as Sequoyah watched in awe as white settlers made marks on paper, convinced that these “talking leaves” were the source of white power and success. This inspired the consuming ambition of his life: to create a Cherokee written language.