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Article published In:
Written Language & Literacy
Vol. 19:2 (2016) ► pp.246–256

The syllabary used by the Kickapoo in Mexico

| Graduate Institute of Applied Linguistics

Kickapoo who moved from the USA into northern Mexico since 1839 have written in a syllabary they identified as created by Sequoyah for the Cherokee. Possible scenarios for how the Kickapoo may have learned the Cherokee syllabary are examined. However, some authors have reported that the Kickapoo in Mexico used the less famous Great Lakes Algonquian Syllabary (GLAS), not the Cherokee syllabary. A new line of evidence is presented concerning the label that the Kickapoo use to name the syllabary, evidence that proves the syllabary they have used is the GLAS, not Sequoyah’s. Building on this evidence, new insights about the unexpected shape of some of the GLAS symbols are presented, along with clues about the creator(s) of the GLAS.

Keywords: Kickapoo, syllabary, Cherokee, Sequoyah, Great Lakes Algonquian Syllabary
Published online: 1 June 2017
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https://doi.org/10.1075/wll.19.2.05uns
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