In this episode of pplpod, we explore the life of Sequoyah, the Cherokee polymath who created one of the most remarkable writing systems in human history. Without formal schooling and without being able to read or write in any existing language, Sequoyah engineered a fully functional Cherokee syllabary from scratch. The episode begins with his early life around 1770 in the Cherokee town of Tuskegee, Tennessee, where he was raised by his mother, Wut-teh, who ran a trading post. It follows his uncertain parentage, his physical disability, and how his inability to farm or fight in the expected ways helped push him toward craftsmanship, observation, and invention. As a self-taught silversmith and blacksmith, Sequoyah learned to reverse engineer tools, metals, and symbols, eventually turning his attention to the “talking leaves” used by white settlers ...