Sequoyah was a young Cherokee(柴罗基部落) Indian, son of a white trader and an Indian squaw(印第安女人). At an early age, he became fascinated by "the talking leaf", an expression that he used to describe the white man’s written records. Although many believed this "talking leaf" to be a gift from the Great Spirit, Sequoyah refused to accept that theory. Like other Indians of the period, he was illiterate, but his determination to remedy the situation led to the invention of a unique 76-character alphabet based on the sound patterns that he heard.
His family and friends thought him mad, but while recuperating (复原) from a hunting accident, he ditly and independently set out to create a form of communication for his own people as well as for other Indians. In 1721, after twelve years of work, he had successfully developed a written language that would enable thousands of Indians to read and write.
Sequoyah’s desire to preserve words and s for later generations has caused him to be remembered among the important inventors. The giant redwood trees(红杉树) of California, called "sequoias" in his honor, will further imprint(铭刻) his name in history. How did Sequoyah’s family react to his idea of developing his own "talking leaf" ______