Written by Mary ᎺᎵ Rae, Art by Miriam Rae-Silver
In Module One, we saw how Cherokees worked together to learn the syllabary in the early 1800s. They demonstrated the idea of ᎦᏚᎩ gadugi, which can be defined as working together towards a common goal.
In The Shadow of Sequoyah, Anna Gritts Kilpatrick writes of Oklahoma Cherokees:
“…the gadugi is composed of unpaid workers called together for a specific task in the interests of a private charity or community welfare.”
Kilpatrick, Anna Gritts. The Shadow of Sequoyah. Univ. of Oklahoma Press,1965, p. 75.
Gadugi is so much a part of Cherokee life that the word for state is very similar, ᏍᎦᏚᎩ sgadugi.
“The word for state draws upon the word ᎦᏚᎩgadugi, which refers to organized teams of people working collectively for a commonly shared goal…While the English word state describes a political organization that grew from regionalism, the Cherokee word more closely matches a historical tradition of collective action.”
Cushman, Ellen. Cherokee Syllabary: Writing the People’s Perseverance. Univ Of Oklahoma Press, 2013, p.197. Gadugi can take many forms. Think about how the following examples demonstrate gadugi.
1. Dollie Duncan letters were sent from a young man in prison, Walter Duncan, to his mother. Apparently, he was learning to write in syllabary, but had the help friends in the meantime. At the end of the second letter we read that Alsdawadi has been writing on Walter Duncan’s behalf :
ᎠᎵᏍᏓᏩᏗ ᏃᏈᏏ ᎪᏪᎸᎦ
alsdawadi nokwsi gowelvga
Alsdawadi Nokwsi I wrote this
I wrote this. A-li-s-da-wa-di No-k-si
Alsdawadi has been helping Walter. Even in prison, Cherokees practiced gadugi, helping one another to accomplish a goal, in this case, to write a letter.
2. The ECHOTA FUNERAL NOTICES are an especially poignant example of gadugi.
In Funeral Notice for Vwodi Aditasgi, we read:
ᏂᎦᏗᏃ ᎡᏍᎦᏂ ᎢᏥᎷᎩ ᎠᎴ ᎢᏣᏍᎪᎵ ᎦᏙᎯ ᎢᎦᎵᎢ
nigadihno esgahni ijiluji ale ijasgoli gadohi our friends
All local residents come and dig the grave, Friends, come.
In “Funeral Notice for Gvsgalisgi Wahya,” we read:
ᎠᎴ ᏧᎾᏁᎶᏗ ᎢᏣᏓᏢᎬᎢ ᏗᏥᎸᏫᏍᏓᏁᎢ ᏗᏓᏂᏐᏗᎯ ᎠᏍᎪᏍᏗ ᏂᎦᎵᏍᏗᏗ
ale junanelhdi ijadatlvgvi dijilvhwista’nehi didanisodihi asgosdi nigalisdidi
It becomes necessary for you workers in the Sunday School and Church organizations to dig a grave.
3. In the Governance Documents, we find the following in “Cherokee Republican Consitution:”
ᏂᎪᎯᎸᎢ ᎠᎵᏂᎬᏁᏗᏱ ᎠᏍᏕᎸᏗᎢ ᎣᎦᎴᎰᎹ ᎠᏁᎲ ᎠᏂᏴᏫᏯ
nigohilv alinigvnediyi asdelvdi’i ogalehoma anehv aniyvwiya
Further, we shall strive to better serve and help our fellow Oklahoma Indians
ᎭᏓᏅᏛᎵ
hadan(v)tvli
Think!
How do the above excerpts illustrate the concept of gadugi? Think about what they have in common, and what sets them apart from one another. Keeping those things in mind, write your own extended definition of gadugi below:
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DICTIONARY STUDY
ᏘᎪᎵᏯ
tigoliya
Read!
For the next section you will need to use Durbin Feeling’s Dictionary.
Feeling, Durbin. Cherokee-English Dictionary.Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma, 1975.
Look up gadugi in the dictionary and write the definition below:
ᎦᏚᎩ gadugi________________________________________________________
Read the sample sentence below for gadugi and write down any words you recognize using both syllabary and phonetics.
ᎪᎯᎩ ᏥᎨᏒ, ᎦᏚᎩ ᏓᎾᎵᏍᏕᎵᏍᎬ ᎠᏂᏣᎳᎩ.
Gohigi jigesv, gadugi danalsdelisgv Anijalagi.
Long ago, Cherokees helped each other through cooperative labor.
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SYLLABARY STUDY
We have seen that Cherokee words can have an intrusive h, an air sound that is not represented by a syllabary character. Studying with speakers when possible, and listening to recordings can help students understand where an intrusive h is used. Most students know also that speakers often drop the final vowel sounds when speaking at a natural, conversational speed. In addition,
vowel sounds may be dropped within a word. For example, in the word ᎤᏅᏥ unvtsi ‘snow,’ the -v- sound is devoiced, and the word sounds like untsi. There is nothing to indicate a dropped or devoiced vowel, so, again, it is important to listen to speakers.
In the GOVERNANCE DOCUMENTS: Keetoowah Society Notes, read the first line and write the following, in syllabary, phonetic and English:
1. A word with a dropped vowel
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
1. A word with an intrusive h
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
Syllabary charts do not often show all the possible sounds for syllabary characters. While it is not possible to indicate dropped vowels, intusive h can be shown in phonetics. In the chart below, circle the syllabary characters with the dropped vowel and intrusive h that you found in the Keetoowah Society Notes.
On the next page is a larger chart to print.
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READING
ᏘᎪᎵᏯ
tigoliya
Read!
Read the following excerpts and underline the phonetic word that matches the word(s) already underlined.
DOLLIE DUNCAN LETTERS: Second Letter 1951-02-11
ᏪᎩ ᎤᏬᏪᎳᏅ ᎾᏍᏋ
wegi uwohwelanv nasgwu
I also received a letter written by Wegi
ᏚᏙᎥ ᎪᏪᎵ
dudo’v gohweli
her name is written on it
ᏩᏙ ᎨᏳᏁᎦ ᎯᎠ ᎦᏲᎵ ᏥᏦᏣᎳᏁ ᎠᏴ ᎠᎩᎪᎵᏰᏗ ᏩᏙ ᎣᏂᏃ ᏥᎬᏲᏪᎳᏁᎸᎢ
wado geyunega hi’a gayoli jijojalane ayv agigoliyedi wado onihno jigvyowelanelv’i
Thank you, Ge-yu-ne-ga, for the small note you inserted, for me to read. Thank you. I wrote to you afterwards.
ECHOTA FUNERAL NOTICES: Gvsgalisgi Wahya
ᎦᏥᏲᏪᎳᏏ ᎨᏈᎵ ᏓᎦᏏ
gajiyowelasi gegwili daksi
I, Gegwili Daksi, just wrote this for his family.
WILLIE JUMPER MANUSCRIPTS: Thunder and the Big Snake
ᎾᏍᎩᏊᏃ ᏂᎦᎠ ᎪᏪᎸᎦ ᎯᎠ ᎨᏒᎢ
nasgigwuhno niga’a gowlevga hi’a gesv’i
That is all I wrote about this.
WILLIE JUMPER MANUSCRIPTS: Story About a Man Named Old George Stonejug
ᎾᏍᎩᏊᏃ ᏂᎦᎠ ᎯᎠ ᏥᎪᏪᎳ
nasgigwuhno niga’a hi’a jigowela
This is all that is written.
WILLIE JUMPER MANUSCRIPTS: Story of The Old Man Willie Pigeon
ᎯᎠ ᏥᎪᏪᎳ ᏌKᏊᎢ ᎠᏍᎦᏯ ᎤᏃᎮᎸᎯ
hi’a jigohwela sagwui asgaya uhnohehlvhi
that which is written and told by one man
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ᏙᏪᎸᎦ
tohwelvga
Write them!
Pick four words about writing from the words you undelined above. Write them below using phonetics.
1. ____________________________________________________
2. ____________________________________________________
3. ____________________________________________________
4. ____________________________________________________
Look carefully at the words and circle what they all have in common. What does this tell you about how the words mean what they do? Write your thoughts in the space below:
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WILLIE JUMPER MANUSCRIPTS: Story of the Little People
ᏘᎪᎵᏯ
tigoliya
Read them!
Read Story of the Little People.
Underline any words in the sentences below that show the spirit of ᎦᏕᎩ gadugi.
1. ᏍᎩᏰᏲᏗᎢ ᎢᏨᏔᏲᏎᎭ
sgiyeyohdi’i ijvtayoseha
for you to teach us we are asking you
2. ᎦᎵᏉᎩ ᎢᏯᏂᎢ ᏧᎾᏛᏐᏅᎯ ᎤᏂᏂᏱᏘᎢ ᎤᎾᏚᎸᎮᎢ
galhgwogi iyani’i junatvsohnvhi uniyhti’i unadulvhe’i
seven of them the elders (for them) to catch they wanted
3. ᎤᏙᎯᏳᎢ ᎨᎨᏲᏅᏁᎢ
udohiyu’i gegeyonvne’i
truly they were taught (repeatedly)
4. ᎾᏊ ᏚᏄᎪᏔᏁᎢ
nagwu dunuktane’i
at this point they decided (on)
ᎭᏓᏅᏛᎵ
hadan(v)tvli
Think!
Copy the above sentences and put them in order to show how the gadugi action of the story was carried out.
- ____________________________________________________________________________
2. ____________________________________________________________________________
3. ____________________________________________________________________________
4. ____________________________________________________________________________
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WORD STUDY
ᎭᏓᏅᏛᎵ
hadan(v)tvli
Think!
In WILLIE JUMPER MANUSCRIPTS: Story of the Little People, we find this word:
ᏧᎾᏛᏐᏅᎯ junatvsohnvhi Elders
also written
ᏧᎾᏛᏐᏅᎢ junatvsohnvi
The following words appear in:
Feeling, Durbin. Cherokee-English Dictionary.Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma, 1975.
Which of these words do you think is related to the word for Elders?
1. ᎠᏛᏓᏍᏗᎭ atvdasdiha ‘he’s listening to him’
2. ᎠᏛᏍᎦ atvsga ‘he’s, it’s growing’
3. ᏧᎾᎵᏍᏓᏴᏗᎢ junalsdayhdi ‘cafe,’ ‘restaurant’
4. ᎠᏛᎩᎠ atvgia ‘he hears him, it’
5. ᎤᎾᏓᏕᏒᏓ unadadesvda ‘chain’
KEY
4-3
1. ᏚᏂᏅᏗ
dunindi
October
2. ᎠᏂ
ahni
here
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1. ᎦᎵᏉᎩ ᎢᏯᏂᎢ ᏧᎾᏛᏐᏅᎯ ᎤᏂᏂᏱᏘᎢ ᎤᎾᏚᎸᎮᎢ
galhgwogi iyani’i junatvsohnvhi uniyhti’i unadulvhe’i
seven of them the elders (for them) to catch they wanted
2. ᎾᏊ ᏚᏄᎪᏔᏁᎢ
nagwu dunuktane’i
at this point they decided (on)
3. ᏍᎩᏰᏲᏗᎢ ᎢᏨᏔᏲᏎᎭ
sgiyeyohdi’i ijvtayoseha
for you to teach us we are asking you
4. ᎤᏙᎯᏳᎢ ᎨᎨᏲᏅᏁᎢ
udohiyu’i gegeyonvne’i
truly they were taught (repeatedly)
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2. ᎠᏛᏍᎦ atvsga / he’s, it’s growing
Module Four: Level One Listening
ᎳᏛᏓᏍᏓ
tatvdasda
Listen to them!
A bell will signal the beginning and end of each recording.
1. ᎢᏳᏩᎪᏗ iyuwakdi means ‘time,’ or ‘times,’ referring to how many times something occurs.
Listen and decide which word means ‘in the future.’ Check the Key, then write the word in
syllabary and phonetics.
_______________________________________ _______________________________________
2. Listen and choose the meaning from the choices below.
a. Indians going to Oklahoma
b. Indians living in Oklahoma
c. People living in Oklahoma
c. an Indian living in Oklahoma
3. ᎦᏚᎩ gadugi means ‘working together.’ Listen and decide the most likely meaning of the
phrase you hear.
a. Oklahoma City
b. Oklahoma workers
c. Oklahoma togetherness
d. The State of Oklahoma
4. Listen and write the phrase you hear.
5. Mystery Word
Write out whatever you hear. Then check the word in the Key and write it correctly phonetically and in syllabary, and write the meaning.
KEY
Level One Listening
1. agwaduliha ‘I want’/ eji ‘Mom’/ esgahni ‘nearby’ / uwagudidisv ‘future’/ unadodawasgv ‘Sunday’
2. b. Indians living in Oklahoma
ᎣᎦᎴᎰᎹ ᎠᏁᎲᎢ ᎠᏂᏴᏫᏯ
ogalehoma anehv aniyvwiya
oklahoma/ those living (i), citizens (of) / Indians
3. d. The State of Oklahoma
ᎣᎩᎳᎰᎻ ᏍᎦᏚᎩ
ogilahomi sgadugi
‘Oklahoma’ ‘state’
4. ᏔᎵ ᎠᎵᏰᎵᏒ ᏩjᎢ ᏒᎯᏰᏯᏗdᎸ
‘tali aliyelisv waji svhiyeyadidlv’
‘two o’clock in the afternoon’
5. ᎠᎾᎢᏐᎢ
anaisoi
‘they would walk’
Module Four: Level Two Listening
ᎳᏛᏓᏍᏓ
tatvdasda
Listen to them!
A bell will signal the beginning and end of each recording.
1. Listen and write the words.
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
2. Listen and fill in the missing words.
ᎾᏍᎩᏊᏃ ᏂᎦᎠ ____________ ᎯᎠ _________
nasgigwuhno niga’a ______________ hi’a ____________
3. Listen and fill in the missing words.
______________ ᏂᎦᎠ ᎯᎠ ____________
______________ nigaa hia ______________
4. ᏚᎸᏫᏍᏓᏁᎭ dulvhwisdaneha means ‘he or she is working.’ Listen and write which word
means ‘you workers.’
a. word one __________________________________________
b. word two __________________________________________
c. word three __________________________________________
d. word four __________________________________________
e. word five __________________________________________
5. Mystery Word
Write out whatever you hear. Then check the word in the Key and write it correctly phonetically and in syllabary, and writ the meaning.
KEY
Level Two Listening
1. gowelia ‘I am writing it’ / gohwelia ‘he or she is writing it’ / asehno ‘but’ / geliha ‘I think so’/ hia ‘this,’ ‘these’
2. ᎾᏍᎩᏊᏃ ᏂᎦᎠ ᎪᏪᎸᎦ ᎯᎠ ᎨᏒᎢ
nasgigwuhno nigaa gowlevga hia gesvi
‘That is all I wrote about this.’
3. ᎾᏍᎩᏊᏃ ᏂᎦᎠ ᎯᎠ ᏥᎪᏪᎳ
nasgigwuhno nigaa hia jigowela
‘This is all that is written‘
4. a. ᏗᏓᏂᏐᏗᎯ didanisohdihi ‘a grave’ / b. ᏗᏥᎸᏫᏍᏓᏁᎢ dijilvhwsdanei ‘you (pl.) workers’
/ c. ᏚᎵᏍᏗ dulisdi ᏚᏂᏃᏗ September/d. duninhdi October / e. ᏙᏓᏉᏅᎯ dodagwohnvi
Monday /
5. ᏗᎧᎿᏩᏛᏍᏗ
dikahnawadvsdi
‘laws’
Module Four: Level Three Listening
ᎳᏛᏓᏍᏓ
tatvdasda
Listen to them!
A bell will signal the beginning and end of each recording.
1. Listen and fill in the missing words.
ᎬᎴᏫᏍᎩ ________________________ ________________________ _______________________ᎠᏲᎰᎯ
‘Gvlehwsgi’ __________________________ ___________________________ __________________________ ayohuhi
2. Write the word that has to do with time.
3. Listen and write what you hear phonetically and the meaning, if you can. Check the Key and make corrections if necessary.
________________________________________ _____________________________________
4. Listen and write the word that means ‘that is written.’
5. Mystery Word
Write out whatever you hear. Then check the word in the Key and write it correctly phonetically and in syllabary, and write the meaning.
KEY
Level Three Listening
1. ᎬᎴᏫᏍᎩ ᎤᏪᏥ ᎤᏍᏗᎢ ᎠᎨᏳᏣ ᎠᏲᎰᎯ
‘Gvlehwsgi’ uweji usdii agehyuja ayohuhi’
Gvlewisgi’s baby girl died.
2. eji ‘Mom’ / waji ‘clock,’ ‘watch’ or ‘clock’/ wahya ‘wolf’ / sidanelv ‘family’/
3. ᏗᏥᎸᏫᏍᏓᏁᎢ
dijilvhwsdanei
‘you (pl.) workers’
4. ᎾᏍᎩᏊᏃ ᏂᎦᎠ ᎯᎠ ᏥᎪᏪᎳ
nasgigwuhno nigaa hia jigowela
‘This is all that is written‘
5. ᏂᏚᏙᎥᎾᏊ
nidudovnagwu
‘without being named’