BIBLIOGRAPHYBruchac, Joseph. 2005. Code talker: A novel about the Navajo Marines of World War Two. New York, NY: Dial Books. ISBN 0-8037-2921-9
PLOT SUMMARY
Code Talker is a fictional tale of Kii Yazhi, a Navajo Native American, whose name was changed to Ned Begay in Catholic school. He is a sixteen-year-old Navajo boy who joins the Marine Corps in an effort to use the Navajo language as a code during World War II. Ned joined a select group of Navajo code talkers to help create the one code that the Japanese would never be able to break.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS (INCLUDLING CULTURAL MARKERS)
Code Talker begins with Kii Yazhi being sent to a United States government school where he had to shave his hair and they only allowed him to speak in English. His native language was not allowed. All his native Navajo clothing was taken from him and he was given a military uniform. The school assigned him an Americanized name and he became Ned Begay. He and his fellow Navajo friends are treated cruelly with racism and demeaning attitudes because of his Native American heritage. They were considered unintelligent compared to white children. Ned excels in his classes and goes to a Native American high school. The country is involved in World War II at this time.
At this time in history Native Americans were not allowed to be American soldiers. Later the government changes their mind about Native Americans enlisting and Ned goes to his parents for permission to join. His parents deny him and say he may join if the war is still going on the next year. He enlists the next year even though he was not 18 years old. Ned Begay and other Navajo men become code talkers using their native Navajo language to send coded messages during the war.
These men were true heroes, sending coded messages back and forth across the Pacific. They were involved in some of the heaviest fighting and were instrumental in saving numerous American lives. Their story was classified and they were not to talk about their work. The story of these courageous men was not told for twenty years after the war.
Cultural markers were described with the Navajo people having brown skin and long black hair. The men don’t have a lot of facial hair, they have an Asian look, so were often taken for Japanese soldiers. This was somewhat problematic for the Navajo. The Navajo also value their long hair and having to cut it during school made them feel naked and ashamed. Some of their social customs are included. Navajo people are quiet and show respect by looking down at their feet when others are talking. They also will point with their chins and lips which is traditional, but considered unique. Navajos also are superstitious about water. Water means danger and should be avoided, even when eating. They also avoid corpses, because they are seen as bad spirits. Joseph Bruchac includes traditional stories of the Scared Twins and the Monster Slayer when describing the battle fatigue of the soldiers. The traditional Blessingway ceremony is also discussed as are ceremonial dances.
Bruchac really captures the voice of Ned Begay as a Navajo Marine telling his grandchildren about his adventures and receiving his medal. The Navajo cultural perspective is used by Bruchac when Ned Begay is telling his story of World War II.
This is a great book for learning about the role the Navajos played in World War II and how their language was an asset in helping to win this horrible war. Great book on showing how individuals can use their traditional cultural heritage as valid contributions to mankind.
REVIEW EXCERPTS
From School Library Journal
Grade 5 Up–In the measured tones of a Native American storyteller, Bruchac assumes the persona of a Navajo grandfather telling his grandchildren about his World War II experiences. Protagonist Ned Begay starts with his early schooling at an Anglo boarding school, where the Navajo language is forbidden, and continues through his Marine career as a "code talker," explaining his long silence until "de-classified" in 1969. Begay's lifelong journey honors the Navajos and other Native Americans in the military, and fosters respect for their culture. Bruchac's gentle prose presents a clear historical picture of young men in wartime, island hopping across the Pacific, waging war in the hells of Guadalcanal, Bougainville, and Iwo Jima. Nonsensational and accurate, Bruchac's tale is quietly inspiring, even for those who have seen Windtalkers, or who have read such nonfiction works as Nathan Aaseng's Navajo Code Talkers (Walker, 1992), Kenji Kawano's Warriors: Navajo Code Talkers (Northland, 1990), or Deanne Durrett's Unsung Heroes of World War II: The Story of the Navajo Code Talkers (Facts On File, 1998). For those who've read none of the above, this is an eye-opener.–Patricia Manning, formerly at Eastchester Public Library, NY
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
From Booklist
*Starred Review* Gr. 6-9. Six-year-old Ned Begay leaves his Navajo home for boarding school, where he learns the English language and American ways. At 16, he enlists in the U.S. Marines during World War II and is trained as a code talker, using his native language to radio battlefield information and commands in a code that was kept secret until 1969. Rooted in his Navajo consciousness and traditions even in dealing with fear, loneliness, and the horrors of the battlefield, Ned tells of his experiences in Hawaii, Guadalcanal, Bougainville, Guam, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa. The book, addressed to Ned's grandchildren, ends with an author's note about the code talkers as well as lengthy acknowledgments and a bibliography. The narrative pulls no punches about war's brutality and never adopts an avuncular tone. Not every section of the book is riveting, but slowly the succession of scenes, impressions, and remarks build to create a solid, memorable portrayal of Ned Begay. Even when facing complex negative forces within his own country, he is able to reach into his traditional culture to find answers that work for him in a modern context. Readers who choose the book for the attraction of Navajo code talking and the heat of battle will come away with more than they ever expected to find. Carolyn Phelan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
AWARDS/HONORS
No awards for this book
CONNECTIONS
Lesson Plans and Curriculum Resources
Ariaona Geographic Alliance The Unbreakable Code Curriculum:
http://alliance.la.asu.edu/azga/lp_view.php?lesson_id=408CNN
Code Talkers Lesson:
http://archives.cnn.com/2001/fyi/lesson.plans/07/26/code.talkers/
Joseph Bruchac @Web English Teacher:
http://www.webenglishteacher.com/bruchac/html
Montana Office of Public Instruction Code Talker Curriculum:
http://www.opi.me.gov/pdf/IndianEd/Search?language%20Arts/Middle_Code%20Talker%20A%20Novel%20About%20the%Navajo%20Marines%20of%20WWII.pdf
Scholastic Resources on Code Talker:
http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/collateral.jsp?id=10825
The Spirit Survives: The Indian Boarding School Experience, Then and Now:
http://www.racebridgesforschools.com/wp/?p=208
University of Minnesota Code Talkers Curriculum:
http://intersectingart.umn.edu/?lesson/21
The Official Website of the Navajo Code Talkers
http://navajocodetalkers.org/
Library of Congress, Indian Boarding Schools: Civilizing the Native Spirit.
http://memory.loc.gov/learn///lessons/01/indian/teacher.html
National Archives. Teaching with Documents: Memorandum Regarding the Enlistment of Navajo Indians.
http://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/code-talkers/.
Navajo code Talkers Foundation.
http://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/code-talkers/.
Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian, Native Words, Native Warriors.
Virtual exhibit available at http://www.nmai.si.edu/education/codetalkers/.
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