Sequoyah High School (Oklahoma)
Encyclopedia
Sequoyah High School is a Native American
boarding school
serving students in grades 7–12, who are members of a federally recognized Native American tribe. The school is located in Tahlequah, Oklahoma
, and is owned and operated by the Cherokee Nation
.
. The first building on the current site of the school was erected in 1875
The Cherokee National Council gave permission for acting Chief William Charles Rogers
to sell the property (which included 40 acres (161,874.4 m²) plus the buildings) to the United States Department of the Interior
for a sum of $5,000 in 1914. In 1925, the name of the school was changed to Sequoyah Orphan Training School to memorialize Sequoyah
, a noted Cherokee who invented the Cherokee syllabary
.
For a short time, the school was also known as Sequoyah Vocational School. During much of its early years, the school boasted an active dairy and various other farming and agricultural facilities. It was operated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs
as a boarding school until 1985.
In November 1985 the Cherokee Nation
resumed operations at Sequoyah High School from the Bureau of Indian Affairs
and now operates under a grant. The school now maintains 90 acres (364,217.4 m²) of land and more than a dozen major buildings five miles (8 km) southwest of Tahlequah, Oklahoma
.
Rita Bunch is now serving as superintendent.
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
boarding school
Boarding school
A boarding school is a school where some or all pupils study and live during the school year with their fellow students and possibly teachers and/or administrators. The word 'boarding' is used in the sense of "bed and board," i.e., lodging and meals...
serving students in grades 7–12, who are members of a federally recognized Native American tribe. The school is located in Tahlequah, Oklahoma
Tahlequah, Oklahoma
Tahlequah is a city in Cherokee County, Oklahoma, United States located at the foothills of the Ozark Mountains. It was founded as a capital of the original Cherokee Nation in 1838 to welcome those Cherokee forced west on the Trail of Tears. The city's population was 15,753 at the 2010 census. It...
, and is owned and operated by the Cherokee Nation
Cherokee Nation
The Cherokee Nation is the largest of three Cherokee federally recognized tribes in the United States. It was established in the 20th century, and includes people descended from members of the old Cherokee Nation who relocated voluntarily from the Southeast to Indian Territory and Cherokees who...
.
History
The school was founded in 1871 by the Cherokee National Council as the Cherokee Orphan Asylum to care for the numerous orphans who came out of the Civil WarAmerican Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. The first building on the current site of the school was erected in 1875
The Cherokee National Council gave permission for acting Chief William Charles Rogers
William Charles Rogers
William Charles Rogers was born near Claremore, Oklahoma on the 13th of December 1847. A successful farmer, he entered local politics in 1881.A member of the Downing Party, he was elected Principal Chief in 1903, defeating E. L. Cookson of the National Party...
to sell the property (which included 40 acres (161,874.4 m²) plus the buildings) to the United States Department of the Interior
United States Department of the Interior
The United States Department of the Interior is the United States federal executive department of the U.S. government responsible for the management and conservation of most federal land and natural resources, and the administration of programs relating to Native Americans, Alaska Natives, Native...
for a sum of $5,000 in 1914. In 1925, the name of the school was changed to Sequoyah Orphan Training School to memorialize Sequoyah
Sequoyah
Sequoyah , named in English George Gist or George Guess, was a Cherokee silversmith. In 1821 he completed his independent creation of a Cherokee syllabary, making reading and writing in Cherokee possible...
, a noted Cherokee who invented the Cherokee syllabary
Cherokee syllabary
The Cherokee syllabary is a syllabary invented by Sequoyah to write the Cherokee language in the late 1810s and early 1820s. His creation of the syllabary is particularly noteworthy in that he could not previously read any script. He first experimented with logograms, but his system later developed...
.
For a short time, the school was also known as Sequoyah Vocational School. During much of its early years, the school boasted an active dairy and various other farming and agricultural facilities. It was operated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs
Bureau of Indian Affairs
The Bureau of Indian Affairs is an agency of the federal government of the United States within the US Department of the Interior. It is responsible for the administration and management of of land held in trust by the United States for Native Americans in the United States, Native American...
as a boarding school until 1985.
In November 1985 the Cherokee Nation
Cherokee Nation
The Cherokee Nation is the largest of three Cherokee federally recognized tribes in the United States. It was established in the 20th century, and includes people descended from members of the old Cherokee Nation who relocated voluntarily from the Southeast to Indian Territory and Cherokees who...
resumed operations at Sequoyah High School from the Bureau of Indian Affairs
Bureau of Indian Affairs
The Bureau of Indian Affairs is an agency of the federal government of the United States within the US Department of the Interior. It is responsible for the administration and management of of land held in trust by the United States for Native Americans in the United States, Native American...
and now operates under a grant. The school now maintains 90 acres (364,217.4 m²) of land and more than a dozen major buildings five miles (8 km) southwest of Tahlequah, Oklahoma
Tahlequah, Oklahoma
Tahlequah is a city in Cherokee County, Oklahoma, United States located at the foothills of the Ozark Mountains. It was founded as a capital of the original Cherokee Nation in 1838 to welcome those Cherokee forced west on the Trail of Tears. The city's population was 15,753 at the 2010 census. It...
.
Demographics
School enrollment is approximately 430 students, with 47% male and 53% female students. The teacher-student ratio is 1:15. 100% of the student population is American Indian, compared to Oklahoma's state average of 18% American Indian students.Administration
Mitch McGehee is currently serving as principal of Sequoyah High School.Rita Bunch is now serving as superintendent.