1. Durbin Feeling is considered the greatest modern contributor to the preservation of the endangered Cherokee language.
14 Facts About Durbin Feeling
1. 2.
Durbin Feeling began to read Cherokee syllabary when he was 12 years old.
3.
Durbin Feeling graduated from Chilocco Indian School in 1964 and earned an associate's degree from Bacone College in 1966.
4.
Durbin Feeling was drafted into the Army in 1967 and served as a door gunner during the Vietnam War.
5.
Durbin Feeling began to write in Cherokee syllabary when corresponding with his mother while he was in Vietnam.
6.
Durbin Feeling was awarded a Purple Heart, and he was honorably discharged in 1970.
7.
Durbin Feeling began his work with the Cherokee language when he returned from Vietnam.
8.
Durbin Feeling earned a bachelor's degree in journalism from Northeastern State University in 1979 and earned a master's degree in social sciences from the University of California, Irvine in 1992.
9.
Durbin Feeling taught Cherokee at universities including the University of Oklahoma, the University of Tulsa, and the University of California.
10.
Durbin Feeling authored or contributed to many books and research articles about Cherokee.
11.
Durbin Feeling worked for the Cherokee Nation from 1976 to 2020, including in its language translation and technology department.
12.
Durbin Feeling contributed to the addition of the Cherokee syllabary to Unicode, which allows it to be widely available on computers and smartphones.
13.
Durbin Feeling was awarded an honorary doctorate by Ohio State University.
14.
The Sam Noble Museum holds the Durbin Feeling Collection, containing his extensive Cherokee-language materials, including letters written in Cherokee to and from members of Feeling's family.