Many white reformers and missionaries sought to teach Indians by relying
on material written in English, but the language barrier made it almost
impossible for Indian students to understand what was being taught. 
Sequoya's Cherokee alphabet and phonetic writing offered a solution, and
when it was introduced to schools, progress was rapid among Cherokee
students.  While many missionaries were unwilling to devote the necessary
time to learning and training in a vernacular, those who embraced it
achieved f ine results.  The Cherokee Phoenix, a weekly newspaper, was
started on February 21, 1828, with Elias Boudinot as editor and Reverend
Samuel Worcester, a missionary to the Cherokee, as director.  Written in
both English and Cherokee, it was widely circulated and read among the
Cherokee tribe.