I have a couple of questions about Native American history. 

First, did any native american cultures ever have a written language?

And secondly, who transcribed the spoken language for the tribes that
didn't have a written language?  Why are the
words spelled the way they are?

There were preColumbian writing systems, as with the Maya, but these
were lost (and with Maya, only recently recovered) following the
European conquest.

All US- and Canada-based native American languages now spoken have
writing systems, mainly developed by Christian missionaries, and
almost all are based on Roman letters. Before this, all of these
languages were essentially unwritten, though 'picture stories' were
created, but such things are at best only precursors of a genuine
writing system.

Sequoyah invented a syllabary for Cherokee, which was officially
adopted by the Cherokee nation in the 1820s and is still in use.

"Why are the words spelled the way they are?"

As with the transliteration of place names and other words in colonies
elsewhere in the world, the Europeans spelled native words
1) as they "heard" them, based on the sounds in their own language, and
2) as they would those sounds in their own language.

This accounts for the "French" spelling and pronounciation of some Indian names:
Iroquois, Sioux.

This practice can have funny results.  In Germany, Sioux is often
pronounced phonetically as a German would read it:  si-yuchs.

"I have a couple of questions about Native American history. 
First, did any native american cultures ever have a written language?
And secondly, who transcribed the spoken language for the tribes that
didn't have a written language?  Why are the words spelled the way they are?"

In at least one instance, anthropologist/sociologist Frank Waters
became fascinated with the fading Native American cultures of the
Southwest in the 1920's. He wrote "Book of the Hopi" in the early
1960's, documenting their belief system and language.

http://www.sustainedaction.org/Explorations/book_of_the_hopi_by_frank_waters.htm

http://www.frankwaters.org/book_review.htm

thank you all for helping to answer my questions

i have more questions though... when did the spoken languages first
start being transcribed?  how long did it take before the tribes
picked up written language after eurpeans began influencing their
culture?

are there any good books that broadly cover all native american
cultures... from before europeans to after european influence

i am interested in knowing more about these cultures -- a lot of them
seemingly peaceful -- that have been eradicated


also... how do I pay you guys for helping me in my quest for
knowledge? it is much appreciated

Hi, Pointme...,
Thank you for your kind words.  That is absolutely all you can do for
commenters who have helped you, so they are very much appreciated.
It just occurred to me to add that it was often missionaries who first
transcribed native languages that had no writing system, but someone
else will have to document this bit of personal knowledge.

That brings up your additional questions.
Badger has suggested one book.  Since the question has not yet been
answered by GA Researcher, maybe one of them will be willing to
include them in an Answer.

It is an interesting subject.

Good luck, Myoarin

Here's a nice link on written Mayan:

http://www.halfmoon.org/writing.html

Precolumbian Mayan uses logograms ('word-pictures', like written
Chinese did originally), but like Egyptian hieroglyphs, reduced the
system to a kind of syllabary.