Wichita State Cherokee class helps students broaden their worldview

Before he could even walk, JW Webster could do something only a handful of other people in the world could do: speak the Cherokee language.

Today Webster is one of only 1,200 people who can fluently read, write and speak the indigenous language — which is ranked as one of the most difficult languages to learn. In August, Webster’s sacred knowledge became part of Wichita State University’s applied linguistics program through a new class, Elementary Cherokee I (LING 590).