Cherokee is an Iroquoian language spoken primarily in Oklahoma state in the United States. It is the language of the Cherokee Nation, and it is the only Southern Iroquoian language in existence. It uses a unique writing system, and it is a polysynthetic language, meaning that it contains words that are made up of multiple other words to convey a large amount of meaning in a short sentence. The Cherokee tribe was originally located in Virginia, but they were forced to move westward on the Trail of Tears after the Indian Removal Act was passed in 1830. Today, many people identify as Cherokee, but very few speak the language. It has been estimated that around eight fluent speakers die each month, and very few children learn the language from birth. There have been efforts for revitalization, and there are programs that offer classes in the language for both children and adults. An increasing number of books have been written, and there have been videos and recordings made in the language.