Only the Mayans, a civilization which once dominated and continues to influence the Yucatan Peninsula, were able to create a written language which was passed on from generation to generation.  No North American tribes had any written language until the Cherokee invented their own alphabet to represent their language.  The Aztecs and Incans – the most influential cultures of the region at the time of first contact – had no written language.  This proved to be a major disadvantage for the indigenous people of the Americas. 