About

Usdi Gvtli is owned by Jess Bourne, a citizen of the Cherokee Nation, and a TERO-certified Cherokee artist. She descends from the Davis, Shelton, and Matoy Cherokee families. All art, icons, and handwritten text are done entirely by her. She does not sew or print the shirts and this is done by a professional printing company.

What does Usdi Gvtli (ᎤᏍᏗ ᎬᏟ) mean in Cherokee?

It means Little Raccoon!

Usdi (ᎤᏍᏗ) means "little" and gvtli (ᎬᏟ) means "raccoon." It's pronounced kind of like "oo-sdee kuh-tlee." Sometimes "raccoon" is pronounced "kuh-hlee" or "kuh-lee."

The word raccoon is often spelled "kvtli" by fluent Cherokee speakers, but it's spelled "gvtli" here so it's easier to find the pronunciation from the Cherokee Nation. Some people also spell it "gvhli" or "gvli." Because Cherokee is primarily an oral language there can be many ways to spell a word.

Here is a video of someone pronouncing "usdi"

And you can find the pronunciation of "gvtli" here

What do the other words in the logo mean?

Higoliya (ᎯᎪᎵᏯ) means "(you - one person) read it (one thing) (now)", which is a verb using the command tense. It's sort of like saying "read it!" but with a few more details. This word is pronounced similar to "hee-goh-lee-yah."

On the raccoon's little orange book it says "ᏣᎳᎩ" in Cherokee syllabary which can also be spelled "Tsalagi" if you're using Latin/English letters. This word means "Cherokee" and is pronounced similar to "Jah-lah-gee."

Can anyone wear the Cherokee language?

Yes! Wearing Native languages is not cultural appropriation or inappropriate for non-Natives to wear, as long as it is done respectfully.

The Cherokee language is at risk of being lost in our lifetimes, and everything we do right now could help save it. Because these shirts are custom and made-to-order, they will not exist without you.

If you grow out of the shirt, consider donating it to a location around Tahlequah, Oklahoma or Qualla Boundary, North Carolina, as there are high concentrations of Cherokee speakers in these areas.