Indianz.Com > News > Chuck Hoskin: Cherokee Nation marks 150th anniversary of Sequoyah Schools
As we celebrate the history and legacy of Sequoyah Schools this week, Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. signed a proclamation officially dedicating Friday, March 4, 2022 as the 150th anniversary of Sequoyah Schools. In 1871, the Cherokee National Council passed a joint resolution signed by former Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Lewis Downing establishing a school for orphaned Cherokee and Native children. The school officially opened its doors on March 4, 1872. #HonorTheSpear150
Posted by Cherokee Nation on Tuesday, March 1, 2022
Sequoyah Schools mark 150th year and a bright future
Thursday, March 3, 2022
Cherokee Nation
For more than 150 years, Sequoyah Schools have been a safe place for Cherokee and other Native American youth to live, learn and grow.
During this milestone anniversary year, we are celebrating Sequoyah Schools’ many accomplishments for past and present generations of students. We are also looking ahead with an historic investment in the school.
From humble beginnings as an orphanage, Sequoyah has evolved into one of the most significant educational institutions for Native students in the nation. The school, serving grades 9 through 12, is operated by the Cherokee Nation and funded by the Bureau of Indian Education.
The best evidence for Sequoyah Schools’ importance is the love and dedication of its alumni base. Many students come from families who have attended Sequoyah for generations. Over that time, Sequoyah Schools’ name and population have changed, but its commitment to excellent education has stayed the same.
Even in times of enormous hardships, our Cherokee ancestors always highly valued education. In 1871, the Cherokee National Council passed an act establishing the Cherokee Orphan Asylum to educate and care for the orphans created by the Civil War. Its name was changed to Sequoyah Orphan Training School in 1925 to honor the Cherokee statesman who developed the Cherokee syllabary. The Cherokee Nation contracted to run Sequoyah High School in 1985, taking over day-to-day management from the Bureau of Indian Education.
Today Sequoyah Schools is a modern institution covering more than 90 acres and a dozen buildings, nestled on a beautiful campus in Cherokee Nation’s capital city of Tahlequah. The average enrollment is just over 375 students, all citizens of a federally recognized tribe. Sequoyah offers a diverse curriculum, many honors courses, and opportunities in athletics, the arts and a wide variety of clubs.
Sequoyah Schools 150th Anniversary Time Capsule
Chuck Hoskin Jr.
is the 18th elected Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation, the largest Indian
tribe in the United States. He is only the second elected Principal Chief of the
Cherokee Nation from Vinita, the first being Thomas Buffington, who served from
1899-1903. Prior to being elected Principal Chief, Hoskin served as the tribe’s
Secretary of State. He also formerly served as a member of the Council of the
Cherokee Nation, representing District 11 for six years.
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