iyuno aya uyanvdv aquvsane "siquoya uwetsi", tla gesvase dudov, gesvase uwasa adanvtedi na aya uhase aquvsa-aniyelvsgv. utloyi gesvase udohiyu iyuno aya uyanvdv aquvsane "nvda tiyohali". tla gesvase dudov; gesvase adanvtedi na aya uhase aquvsa-aniyelvsgv. aya ulvquodase ganagvi uyelvha agalisgv hawina, tiyohali ginitloyi. tiyohali gesvase nasquv aqua ulanigvgv ganatlai ale kanohedise ayv ulisgedv iyusdidine. nasgi-igvnisisgi aya uyanvdv aquvsane "nvda tiyohali".
ᎠᏯ Ꮭ ᎤᎭᏎ ᏣᎳᎩ ᏚᏙᎥᏁ. ᎤᎪᏗᏗ ᏐᎢ ᏴᏫ Ꮎ ᎤᎭᏎ ᎤᎪᏕᏍᏗ ᏣᎳᎩ ᎩᎦᏁ ᏏᏅ ᎠᏯ ᎤᎭᏎ, Ꮭ ᎤᎭᏎ ᏣᎳᎩ ᏚᏙᎥᏁ ᎾᏍᏋ. ᏌᏊ ᎠᏓᏅᏖᏗ ᎨᏒᎠᏎ ᎢᎬᏂᏏᏍᎩ ᎠᏂ-ᏣᎳᎩ Ꮭ ᎠᎾᎩᏍᏗ ᎤᏣᏘᎾ, ᎠᏎᏃ ᏣᎳᎩ ᎦᏬᏂᎯᏍᎩ ᎤᏍᎦᏃᎳᎯᎨᏍᏗ ᎠᎾᎩᏍᏗ ᎤᏣᏘᎾ. ᏅᎩᏍᎪᎯ ᏧᏕᏘᏴᏓ ᎢᏳ-ᏥᎨᏒ ᎦᏬᏂᎯᏍᎩ ᎤᎯᏎ ᏔᎵᏍᎪ-ᏑᏓᎵ ᎠᎦᏴᎵᏗ ᎦᏬᏂᏍᎩᏗᏁ. ᎾᏍᎩ ᎤᎭᏎ ᏃᏊ ᏔᎵᏚ ᎠᎦᏴᎵᏗ ᎦᏬᏂᏍᎩᏗᏁ. ᎯᎳᏴᎢ Ꮭ ᎨᏒᎠᏎ ᏣᎳᎩ ᎦᏬᏂᎯᏍᎩ, Ꮭ ᎨᏒᎣᏎ ᏣᎳᎩ ᏚᏙᎥᏗ. ᎠᏎᏃ ᎢᏳᏃ ᎠᏂ-ᏣᎳᎩ ᎤᎭᏎ ᎤᏚᎩ ᎦᏬᏂᎯᏍᎩ, ᎾᏍᎩᏛ ᎤᎰᏎ ᎤᏚᎩᏁ.
ᎢᏳᏃ ᎠᏯ ᎤᏯᏅᏛ ᎠᏋᏌᏁ "ᏏᏉᏯ ᎤᏪᏥ", Ꮭ ᎨᏒᎠᏎ ᏚᏙᎥ, ᎨᏒᎠᏎ ᎤᏩᏌ ᎠᏓᏅᏖᏗ Ꮎ ᎠᏯ ᎤᎭᏎ ᎠᏋᏌ-ᎠᏂᏰᎸᏍᎬ. ᎤᏠᏱ ᎨᏒᎠᏎ ᎤᏙᎯᏳ ᎢᏳᏃ ᎠᏯ ᎤᏯᏅᏛ ᎠᏋᏌᏁ "ᏅᏓ ᏘᏲᎭᎵ". Ꮭ ᎨᏒᎠᏎ ᏚᏙᎥ; ᎨᏒᎠᏎ ᎠᏓᏅᏖᏗ Ꮎ ᎠᏯ ᎤᎭᏎ ᎠᏋᏌ-ᎠᏂᏰᎸᏍᎬ. ᎠᏯ ᎤᎸᏉᏓᏎ ᎦᎾᎬᎢ ᎤᏰᎸᎭ ᎠᎦᎵᏍᎬ ᎭᏫᎾ, ᏘᏲᎭᎵ ᎩᏂᏠᏱ. ᏘᏲᎭᎵ ᎨᏒᎠᏎ ᎾᏍᏋ ᎠᏆ ᎤᎳᏂᎬᎬ ᎦᎾᏝᎢ ᎠᎴ ᎧᏃᎮᏗᏎ ᎠᏴ ᎤᎵᏍᎨᏛ ᎢᏳᏍᏗᏗᏁ. ᎾᏍᎩ-ᎢᎬᏂᏏᏍᎩ ᎠᏯ ᎤᏯᏅᏛ ᎠᏋᏌᏁ "ᏅᏓ ᏘᏲᎭᎵ".
I do not have a Cherokee name. Many other people who have more Cherokee blood than I have also do not have a Cherokee name. One reason is because the Cherokee people are not going away, but the Cherokee language is slowly going away. Forty years ago the language had 26,000 speakers. It now has 12,000. When there is no Cherokee language, there will be no Cherokee names. But if the Cherokee people have the Udugi ("Hope") language, they will have hope.
If I call myself "Son of Sequoyah," it is not a name, it is an idea I have about myself. The same is true if I call myself "Sun Lizard." It is not a name; it is an idea that I have about myself. I like to lie naked in the sunshine, like a lizard. Lizard is also my power animal, and has told me important things. So I call myself "Sun Lizard."
