The Talking Leaves (The origin of the Cherokee alphabet )
Posted: Sunday, February 25, 2007
by David Tanguay
"Although the late, great, Johnny Cash is in the “Songwriters Hall of Fame" “The Country Music Hall of Fame" and “The Rock and Role Hall of Fame" He is also known as a great story teller. Whether he is telling the story of the shootout at the O.K. Corral, or the assassination of President James Garfield, his listeners can place themselves at the scene and relate to the conditions of that particular time in history with every detail so carefully taken into consideration.
A selection from his “Bitter Tears" Album (an album depicting the lifestyles and also the injustices undergone by the American Indian)
"Bitter Tears Album"“The Talking Leaves" He enlightens the listener by portraying the story of "Sequoia" the Cherokee Indian, who is accountable for a lifetime of hard work and commitment in bringing the Cherokee alphabet to his people.
The Talking Leaves
Sequoia's winters were sixteen silent tongue spirit clean
He walked at his father's side
Across the smoking battle ground where red and white men lay all around
So many here had died
The wind had scattered around snow white leaves upon the ground
Not leaves like leaves from trees
Sequoia said what can this be what's the strange thing here I see
From where come leaves like these
Sequoia turned to his father's eyes and he said father you are wise
From where come such snow white leaves
With such strange marks upon these squares
Not even the wise owl could put them there
So strange these snow white leaves
His father shielding his concern resenting the knowledge Sequoia yearned
Crumbled the snow white leaves
He said when I explain then it's done these are talking leaves my son
The white men's talking leaves
The white man takes a berry of black and red
And an eagle's feather from the eagle's bed
And he makes bird track marks
And the marks on the leaves they say carry messages to his brother far away
And his brother knows what's in his heart
They see these marks and they understand the truth in the heart of the far off man
The enemies can't hear them
Said Sequoia's father son they weave bad medicine on these talking leaves
Leave such things to them
Then Sequoia walking lightly followed his father quietly but so amazed was he
If the white man talks on leaves why not the Cherokee
Vanished from his father's face Sequoia went from place to place
But he could not forget
Year after year he worked on and on till finally he cut into stone
The Cherokee alphabet
Sequoia's hair by now was white his eyes began to lose their light
But he taught all who would believe
That the Indian's thoughts could be written down
Just as the white men's there on the ground and he left us these talking leaves
The Cherokee Alphabet This Article has been viewed 1,615 times. (Not updated in real-time.)
No comments yet.We want your comments! If you can read this, you don't have javascript enabled, so you can't use this comment system. Please enable javascript.